The Revengers: Fire With Fire
by karevsprincess
Summary: Nolan Ross thought he was done with revenge – until the love of his life ended up in prison for a crime she did not commit. Now with the help of his closest friends and fellow revengers, he'll have to do whatever it takes to make sure the woman he loves goes free. But when you fight fire with fire, you might just get burned. / Sequel to The Revengers.
1. Deep Secrets

**A/N** : Hi everyone and happy 8-8! I'm so excited to be back! Writing this series has been so much fun for me and I hope you're all enjoying it. I think there's going to be stuff in this story that you're all really going to like. I'm going to try to update every Sunday like I did last time but I might have to skip some weeks because I'll be busy - it's the end of summer, and soon my senior year of high school is going to start (oh my God guys I'm getting OLD). I don't know if I'll be able to update this Sunday or not because I think I might be out of town that day, but we'll see. And just so you know your feedback and reviews always encourage me to post more!

Oh, and in case you didn't read my sneak peek, the first half of this story will include flashforwards, just like _The Revengers_. They'll last until Chapter 5. Enjoy!

 **Disclaimer** : I am not the creator of _Revenge_.

* * *

 **February 14, 2017 11:00 p.m.**

 **Southampton, New York**

 _Everyone has secrets._

The party was in full swing around him – dancing, drinking, talking, and laughing. The foyer to Ellis Manor had been adorned with seasonal decorations – strings of heart shaped lights, bouquets of red roses, even pink champagne and rosé to drink. But instead of joining in on the festivities Nolan Ross simply stood by himself, leaning up against the wall, staring dejectedly into his champagne flute. He watched as a random couple smiled at each other, dancing to a Frank Sinatra song, and took another swig of his drink.

 _Things which they keep locked up inside._

Across the room, Amanda Porter (née Clarke) glanced at him over her shoulder. "We can't tell him," She said, turning back to her husband Jack. "He'll freak."

"Are you sure?" Jack said. "I mean, this concerns him too –"

"I'm sure," Amanda insisted. "This has to stay between us, alright?"

Jack nodded in agreement. "Don't worry – we'll take care of this. I know you – you always have a plan."

Reluctantly, Amanda smiled slightly. "Okay, so I might be coming up with a few possibilities in my head…"

He beamed with pride and took a drink of his champagne. "That's my girl."

She looked over again, her smile fading as she watched Nolan, standing by himself drinking across the room. "He doesn't deserve any of this." She said. "After everything he's been through, he deserves happiness. And I don't want to take that from him…"

"You won't." Jack promised. "He's our best friend - we're not going to let anything happen to him."

When she turned back around, Amanda had a mischievous glint in her eye. "I have a plan."

"Okay, what are we –" He was caught off guard when she kissed him firmly on the mouth. "What was that for?"

"Because I love you." She explained. "And I need to get my mind off this. It is Valentine's Day, after all."

Jack gave her a look. "You hate Valentine's Day. You called it an excuse to sell Hallmark cards."

Amanda shrugged. "It is – but you said you wanted to make me like it." She smirked. "But you know, if you're not confident in your ability to succeed…"

He chuckled at the nature of her challenge and placed his glass down on the nearest table, then took her hand in his. "Fine, you're on."

 _Threatening to boil over at any moment._

While the couple snuck off like the two crazy high school kids they never got to be together, Nolan's attention was diverted when he caught sight of the woman descending the stairs. Her hair was cascading in loose waves past her shoulders and she wore a body-hugging silver dress, but her appearance did not faze him tonight. She smiled as she approached him. "Hi," She said. "Can I steal you for a dance?" She reached to grab his arm but he yanked it away. He could see the look of confusion cross her face. "What's wrong?"

Nolan shook his head at her, his jaw clenched. "Olivia…" He began, his voice stern. "I know."

This only perplexed her more. "You know what?"

 _Everyone has secrets, whether they be little white lies they once told, or skeletons in their closets which could possibly ruin lives._

The doorbell rang, effectively distracting them mid-conversation. Louise went to get it, teetering-tottering in her sky-high heels, a drink still in her hand. "Come on in y'all, party's just getting star–" She froze when she saw the people standing outside her front door – definitely not more guests. In a matter of seconds the entire party was suddenly silenced, all gawking at their unexpected visitors.

The two cops took a step forward. "Sorry to bother you ma'am," One said. "But are you Louise Ellis?"

Louise nodded slowly. "Yes…can I help you officers with something?"

"We're sorry to break up your party," The second cop said. "But we have some questions for you – about a murder."

 _And it's only a matter of time until they get out._

* * *

 **October 12, 2016**

 **Four Months Earlier...**

Nolan checked his phone one more time, only to find that none of his messages had been answered. He shrugged off his lack of a response however – perhaps Hailey was still in her afternoon class, or was preoccupied with her studies. So instead he simply texted her to meet him as soon as she was done, then – after using the copy of the key he had made – pushed open the door to the Chamberlain beach house, the place where Olivia and Hailey had spent the beginning of their summer.

Inside, it looked completely dead. All of the furniture was covered in sheets, most of the possessions cleared out. But Nolan couldn't help himself – he just wanted to peruse the house one more time, see if there was something he'd missed before. He searched the living room first, lifting the sheets off the furniture to see if anything lurked underneath. He uprooted all the couch and chair cushions, only to find nothing but lint and loose change. He opened every drawer, and again found nothing useful. He then went upstairs and checked the bathroom medicine cabinet. Inside was only toothpaste, a box of tampons and - ugh - KY jelly, and Nolan gagged as he closed the door. The mental image of the Chamberlains having sex - or worse, Chamberlain and _Olivia_ having sex - was enough to make his stomach churn.

He was beginning to feel stupid now - maybe coming here hadn't been as good an idea as he thought. He walked into the master bedroom, which had been completely stripped except for the mattress on the bed. He plopped down on it dejectedly, plotting his next move. But as his hand brushed past the edge of the mattress he felt...something.

Nolan stood up and flipped the mattress off the bed - it landed on the floor with a loud thud, but Nolan was instead focused on the little book which he now saw discarded beneath it. He picked it up and recognized it immediately - it looked just like the journals of Olivia's that Hailey had shown him. Why had she stuffed it under the mattress? He hesitated for a moment - it felt weird to be read someone else's private thoughts, but he knew he had to. She might have written down something important.

Nolan opened to the first page and saw something strange - out of the whole book, only one page had been written on. And while all of the diaries Hailey had shown him were from years before, this entry had been dated only a few months previously.

As Nolan read the words on the page, they sent him reeling. "Oh my God."

He had to see Olivia.

* * *

Charlotte could not conceal her smile as she walked back to her dorm room after class, reading another text message from Drew. _I missed having your pretty head on the pillow next to mine this morning. Dinner at six-thirty sound good?_

Her grin unfaltering, she texted back that it was a date. Smiling, Charlotte headed down her hallway, already picturing in her mind what she would wear, but she stopped just short of her room.

The door to Hailey's dorm was wide open and the music blasting out of the radio was so powerful it nearly sent Charlotte staggering backwards. "Why are you playing that so loud?" She said, practically having to scream to have herself heard. She walked into the room, hands over her ears, and turned it off forcefully, before her eardrums could burst.

Hailey sat up slowly from where she'd been laying down on the bed. "I was listening to that," She deadpanned, her voice completely devoid of any decipherable emotion.

"Since when do you listen to heavy metal?" Charlotte said – her ears were still ringing. She took in her friend's appearance – her usual, normal clothes replaced with a strapless top, short skirt and high heeled boots, much more revealing than anything she'd seen her wear before. "Why are you dressed like that? And why weren't you in class today?"

"I just didn't want to go," Hailey said. She stood up and walked over to her desk, pawing around for some lipstick in her makeup bag. "And I have plans tonight."

"I thought you were meeting with Nolan – to talk about your mother's appeal."

Hailey turned around to face her, a frown on her face. "What's there to talk about?" She snapped. "It's hopeless."

"Don't say that –" Charlotte began, but they were cut off by the arrival of two unexpected visitors, standing in the open doorway. Charlotte did not recognize either of them – one was a blonde haired, blue-eyed pretty boy, while the other had the tall, dark and handsome thing going for him.

"Sorry," The former said. "You ready to go?"

"Yeah, just a sec." Hailey said, grabbing her jacket. Charlotte gave her a look.

"Where are you going now?"

Hailey rolled her eyes. "Easy, _Mom_." She said sarcastically. "This is Gavin –" The first boy gave a half-wave. "And Cole." The second boy nodded his head. "We're going out."

"Study group," The second boy – Cole – said. He held up his messenger bag, for evidence, and plopped down on the chair while Hailey finished putting on her makeup. "We'd offer to let you join, but we're already full. Sorry."

Charlotte was still not convinced. "And what exactly are you studying?"

"I'm tutoring them," Hailey said quickly – a little too quickly, in Charlotte's opinion. "In calculus."

"Yeah," Gavin laughed. "Cole and I are so hopeless at math - that's why we need Hailey."

Charlotte turned and picked up a book off Hailey's nightstand. "You might want to take your calculus textbook, then."

Hailey blushed and grabbed it. "Thanks. You know what they say - I'd lose my head…"

"Well we gotta go," Cole interjected. "Those functions aren't gonna solve themselves."

"Right," Hailey agreed. "I'll text you later, Char?" She turned to go and the two boys followed her, the three of them heading off together. For a moment, Charlotte thought about going after them, but then decided against it. Hailey was a big girl who could make her own decisions, and things had been hard for her lately - they were probably just going to a party, maybe to have a few beers. She would be a hypocrite to stop Hailey when she'd done the same thing before.

She returned to her dorm room and changed into a cute dress – little, black, and totally sexy – in preparation for her date with Drew that night. She was about to do her hair when she remembered – she'd leant Hailey her curling iron, and forgotten to ask for it back. Charlotte headed back over to her friend's dorm and began to look for it when she noticed something.

There was a guy's hooded sweatshirt thrown over the back of the chair where Cole had been sitting before – he must've forgotten it in their haste. Curiosity getting the best of her, Charlotte walked over and picked it up. She stuck in her hand in the pocket and her fingers came into contact with something strange. She pulled it out and gasped audibly - it was a plastic baggie...full of coke.

"Goddamnit, Hailey." She muttered. "I'm _so_ going to kick your ass." She reached into the other pocket, hoping to find some clue to where Hailey could've possibly gone and not more illegal substances. Sure enough she found a crumpled up flyer, advertising a party at Alpha Tau Omega – happening right now.

She raced back to her room and grabbed her keys, and then hurried out the door.

* * *

"Auntie Lulu!"

The Southern belle looked up from packing up her bag after a day of lounging and enjoying the unseasonably nice weather, and grinned as she spotted little Carl Porter running towards her. "Hi, honey bun!" She said, happily accepting the child's offer of a hug. "How are you?"

"Are you going to have dinner with us, Auntie Lulu?" The little boy asked excitably. He absolutely loved Louise and Nolan, and considered them his aunt and uncle even though they shared no biological relation.

"That depends," Louise said teasingly. "Is your mama cooking or your daddy?"

"Daddy is," Carl answered, and then he giggled. "Mommy made the kitchen smoke when she tried to cook."

Louise laughed and bopped him on the nose. "Dinner sounds great – I'll be right inside, okay?" Carl nodded and turned to run back into the beach club, surely to tell his father and stepmother that Auntie Lulu was going to have dinner with them.

She went back to what she had been doing, putting her book back in her bag and pushing her sunglasses to the top of her head, when she heard unfamiliar laughter. "He is so cute," A woman said. She looked older – in her early fifties probably – and was sitting a few lounge chairs down. "Is he your son?"

Louise smiled at her and shook her head. "I wish – I'm friends with his mama and daddy. But he is precious, isn't he?"

The woman nodded. "He reminds me of my son, when he was little…" She trailed off, a faraway look in her eye.

"How old is your son?"

The woman visibly paled. "He was thirty-one...He passed away, unfortunately."

"Oh my Lord," Louise said, a hand over her heart. "I'm so sorry! I shouldn't have asked…"

"It's okay," The woman insisted. "You couldn't have possibly known." She smiled feebly and got up, walking over towards Louise and extending her hand in introduction. "I'm Martha."

Louise smiled and shook her hand. "Louise Ellis. Lovely to meet you."

"Southern girl I see," Martha said. "I'm from Alabama, myself."

"Georgia," Louise said with a smile. "What brings you all the way up to New York?"

"Just a visit – I've decided I'm going to start a charity up here." Martha explained. "In honor of my son." She shook her head. "But I honestly have no idea where to start…"

A thought dawned on Louise and her face lit up, her Southern hospitality kicking into high gear. "Well, I could help!"

Martha shook her head. "Oh no, I don't want your money…"

"It doesn't have to be money, necessarily. I could provide some guidance, or at least get the word out…What do you say?"

Slowly, Martha smiled too. "That's very generous of you, thank you. I'm staying at The South Fork Inn – we could meet for lunch there tomorrow to discuss? Say – twelve o'clock?" Louise nodded while Martha started to head on her way – but then she paused for a moment, deep in thought. "If I can just prevent one child," She told Louise. " _One,_ from taking his life like Lucas did...it will all be worth it."

While Martha gathered up her stuff, Louise's face fell. Did she say...? "I'm sorry," She said. "What did you say your name was again?"

The woman turned to go, and smiled at Louise over her shoulder. "Martha," She said. "Martha Barlow."

* * *

"So – how are things with you and Charlotte?"

Drew smiled at the mention of his girlfriend's name, and looked at Spencer across the table. "They're awesome," He answered. "I really like her, man. I don't think I've ever felt this way about...well, anyone."

"That's great," Spencer told him truthfully. "I know how badly you wanted this…"

"It's actually our one month anniversary, so I'm taking her out to dinner." At this, Spencer laughed into his drink. "What's so funny?"

"One month anniversary?" Spencer said. "You are _so_ whipped."

Drew shook his head at him. "Don't act like if you ever got a girlfriend you wouldn't be a million times worse…"

Spencer placed a hand on his chest, feigning hurt. "I'm offended," He said, but he couldn't maintain a straight face. "But okay, yeah you're totally right."

Drew laughed, but then his phone vibrated in his pocket. "That's probably her right now," He said. Spencer took a sip of his beer while Drew checked his phone, but he watched Drew's happy expression turn to one of disappointment.

"What's wrong?" He asked, worried about his best friend's well-being immediately. "Charlotte okay?"

"She cancelled our date tonight," Drew said. "She wants to do it another time…"

"Wow, that sucks. Did she tell you why?"

Drew looked up and shook his head. "She didn't say…"

Spencer rose and motioned for his friend to do the same. "Well, guess you're stuck having dinner with me instead. I'll even cook."

Drew cracked a half-smile. "We better eat here then – I don't want food poisoning."

The two chuckled as they walked over to the beach club's bar. Business was beginning to slow down as it approached the hour that was too late for lunch and still a little early for dinner. Amanda was counting the money in the cash register and Jack was stacking glasses before they went home for the evening. Carl was sitting on one of the bar stools, fascinated by how it swiveled back and forth.

"Do you guys want more drinks?" Amanda asked when she saw them.

"Food, actually." Spencer said. He and Drew sat down at the two stools next to Carl. "Charlotte had to cancel on him."

"Why don't you guys come have dinner with us?" Jack offered. "We have room for two more."

The two guys shared a look and Drew shrugged. "Sure, sounds great."

Louise walked in then – one of the straps of her sundress had slipped down her shoulder and she was carrying her wedge sandals in her hand. "Hey," She said to Amanda and Jack, leaning up against the bar. "Can we talk?"

"Sure," Amanda said. "Oh, and Drew and Spencer are joining us for dinner. You don't mind, do you?"

Louise looked at the two younger men and plastered on her biggest, brightest, most forced smile. "Of course I don't mind! Would you give us a moment alone, darlings? No offense, of course."

"Okay…" Drew said. He turned to Carl. "Do you want to go look at some of the boats, buddy?"

The little boy nodded emphatically. "Okay!" He jumped down from his stool and Drew and Spencer both smiled, then started to follow him out.

As they headed for the door, Spencer clamped a hand on Drew's shoulder. "Who needs Charlotte, right?"

* * *

 **February 14, 2017 11:25 p.m.**

The party dispersed after the cops arrived, the officers escorting the five remaining guests into the living room to talk. On the loveseat, Louise sat with her legs crossed. Olivia and Hailey were both on the couch, shoulder to shoulder, while Nolan stood in the corner – it almost looked like he was sulking. The two cops stood in the center of the room and Drew stood back, watching. He took a long sip of his champagne. This night had taken an interesting turn.

Amanda and Jack both slipped into the room then – they'd disappeared at some point during the party. "Todd? Barry?" The latter said, clearly recognizing the two police officers.

The first cop perked up. "Hey – how ya been Porter?" The three men greeted each other warmly, and Drew wasn't exactly sure how they knew each other. It wasn't important, he supposed.

"So," The other cop said. "This is your wife?"

Amanda smiled at him and walked over. "Amanda," She introduced herself. "Hi." Behind her husband's back she tucked in the tail of his shirt – clearly attempting to be discreet - but Drew saw, and from Louise's raised eyebrow it seemed she had too. He took another long swig, not wanting to think about what they must've been doing moments ago.

"I wish I could say we were meeting under better circumstances," The second cop said.

"Yeah," Jack said. "What is this about, exactly?"

The two officers exchanged a look. "We need to ask all of you some questions," The first one explained. "About a murder that happened tonight."

As the officers explained the situation again, Drew turned at the sound of footsteps behind him. "Hey, where have you been? The cops are here."

"Cops?" Charlotte repeated. She walked over to stand next to him and Drew saw her discreetly wipe her nose with her finger.

"You okay?" He asked. She just seemed so...off. She was jittery, her hands were shaking, and her pupils were dilated. It was almost as if…

"Yeah, I'm fine." Charlotte said, quick to dismiss it. She turned to walk away but Drew grabbed her arm, forcing her to look at him.

"Charlotte," He said, his voice low but firm. "Are you high right now?"

"What are you talking about?" She said. She tried to laugh it off, but Drew wasn't fooled – she was physically shaking and she shifted nervously, like she had something to hide.

"You _are_ high." He said. This time, it wasn't a question. "Char..."

Charlotte stepped back, wrenching her arm free. "Just leave me alone, okay?" She snapped. "It's none of your goddamn business. You're not my boyfriend." And then she stormed off the way she came before Drew could say anything more.

* * *

 **October 12, 2016**

Louise stood outside the beach club, staring up at the sun as it began its descent across the sky, waiting for Amanda and Jack to turn the bar over to the night manager and come join her. The couple walked out of the beach club a moment later, smiling and laughing about something, his arm around her waist. "So," Amanda said. "You wanted to talk?"

Louise nodded, not sure how to begin. "Do y'all want to take a walk down to the beach before we meet the boys at the dock? This is kinda important." The couple nodded in agreement.

The three of them walked down, shoes being removed as they reached the sand. "Remember what I told y'all," She began. "About how I was trying to get information from Chamberlain?"

"How could we forget?" Jack said. "Why?"

"Well after the Chamberlains realized that I wasn't going to let myself be so easily manipulated," Louise explained. "They...they asked someone to kill me."

"What?" Amanda and Jack both said at the same time. Clearly, this was new information to them.

"How is this the first we're hearing of this?" Amanda asked.

"I'm sorry, I was just so scared after it happened," Louise responded. "I went after the man who tried to kill me, to see what I could find…" She trailed off, then blurted it out: "The man who tried to kill me was Lucas Barlow."

"The Liberator who killed himself?" Jack asked.

Louise nodded. "Only he didn't kill himself," She said. She skimmed her foot across the lapping water of the ocean, and it was cold on her toes. "Nolan and I think...he might've been murdered."

"What?" They gasped – again, unintentionally in almost perfect synchronization.

"Think about it," Louise continued. "Brett and Sonya asked him to get rid of me. If he told them he wouldn't, or they thought he might tell on them...I wouldn't put it past them to have killed him."

"Okay, okay." Amanda said. "So you think the Chamberlains killed Barlow. But why are you telling us this now?"

"Because," Louise said nervously. "Because today at the beach club, I met...Martha Barlow. Lucas's mama."

"His mother?" Jack gasped. "Please tell me you didn't talk to her…"

Louise bit down on her lip. "I did. And I might've promised to help her with her charity…"

"Louise," Amanda said firmly. "This is a bad idea. You have to stay away from her."

"But doesn't she deserve to know her son didn't kill himself?"

"Louise, you don't even know for sure," Jack told her. "How do you know that Lucas didn't feel remorseful for trying to kill you and took his own life as a result? There's no proof that he was murdered."

"His car wasn't there the day he died," Louise explained. "I saw someone drive off in it. And I don't know, I just...I just have a feeling, that Chamberlain hurt him."

"Even if that is the case, Chamberlain is dangerous, Louise. Do you honestly think that he didn't cover his tracks? I mean, the cops ruled it a suicide."

"And I know you feel bad," Amanda added. "But Lucas Barlow was a terrorist too. He wasn't exactly innocent."

Louise looked down, drawing a circle in the sand with her toe. "I guess you're right…" She said.

"Come on," Jack said. "Let's go to the docks…" The couple kept walking, heading back up the beach, but Louise hung back for a second, watching as the waves came in. They rolled in, wetting her toes, and then went back out, wiping away any remnants of the picture she'd drawn moments before.

* * *

"Move!" Charlotte ordered, shoving her way through the crowd at the Alpha Tau Omega house. People gave her annoyed looks but she pressed on with determination. The place was jam packed and she scanned the foyer, looking for Hailey.

"Excuse me," piped up a voice. There was an underclassmen standing at the doorway with a clipboard, clearly forced to be the bouncer by his older peers. "Who invited you?"

She glanced over his shoulder, ignoring him as he continually pestered her for a name. Finally, Charlotte spotted Gavin and Cole, laughing together obnoxiously in the next room. "Them," She said, shoving him aside. "I'm with them."

She stormed over, unwavering in her purpose. Gavin and Cole both smirked when they saw her but before they could speak she shoved Cole's sweatshirt back into his arms. "You forgot this at Hailey's," She snapped. "And don't worry – the coke's still there."

The two boys laughed - it was clear they were both insanely drunk. "Thanks, baby doll." Cole said, checking to verify her statement. He pulled out the baggie and Charlotte's fists clenched as he lifted it up, directly in her line of vision. All she could think about was how dependent she used to be on the drug, how it dictated her life…

An excited squeal diverted her attention. "Charlie!" Someone cried and she turned to see Hailey, running towards her with arms outstretched. Her blonde hair was flying uncontrollably and she was missing one of her shoes, causing her to teeter totter and practically fall onto Charlotte, narrowly catching herself and throwing her arms around the other girl. "You came!" She said, dragging her words out so it sounded like _you_ _caaaaaaaaaaame_. Hailey threw her head back and laughed at nothing. "Oh my God, I'm having so much fun. Are you having so much fun? I'm having so much fun." She giggled and put a hand over her mouth. "Oopsie, I said that already!"

Gavin and Cole both laughed in amusement, while Charlotte reeled back from the pungent smell on her friend's breath. "You got her _high_?"

"Relax, it's just pot." Gavin laughed. "She's such a lightweight. But we hear you like the good stuff." Beside him, Cole waved the baggie in the air, clearly trying to tempt her.

Charlotte narrowed her eyes at them. "I don't do that anymore – and Hailey doesn't do that period. I'm gonna take her home." She turned to Hailey and placed a hand on her cheek. "Hailey, honey, I'm going to take you back now okay?"

"No!" Hailey whined. "Charlie, I'm having so –" She paused then, her eyes going wide. She looked positively...green. She effectively cut herself off, running towards the bathroom before she could empty the contents of her stomach all over the floor.

Gavin and Cole both chuckled. "Like I said," Gavin told her. "Lightweight." Charlotte rolled her eyes – _jerks_.

She walked off towards the bathroom. There was a line of girls outside but she made her way to the front despite their protests and knocked on the door. "Hailey?" She said softly. "Hailes, can I come in?" She only heard gagging noises in response. With a sigh, Charlotte pushed open the door and stepped inside.

She found Hailey on her knees, her head in the toilet, puking her guts out. "Oh Hailey…" She said, walking over to pull her friend's hair back so she could vomit. She sat there for a few moments until finally Hailey calmed down, drunkenly pressing her forehead against the cool porcelain of the toilet seat. Charlotte grabbed some toilet paper and instructed the girl to lift her head up, which she did feebly, so Charlotte could wipe off her face. She'd been in this situation herself many times, and she wished she'd had a friend there to look out for her back then.

She sat back down on the floor and Hailey drowsily lowered her head onto Charlotte's lap, curling up into a ball and moaning quietly. Charlotte ran her fingers through her hair, watching her worriedly.

The door opened again and Gavin peeked his head in. "Sorry," He said. "Can I come in?" Charlotte opened her mouth to tell him no but he stepped inside before he could. He had three water bottles. "For you guys," He said. "I'm sorry - we should've known better than to give her so much." He held two bottles of water out, extending them for Charlotte to take.

After a moment's hesitation, Charlotte accepted his peace offering. "Yeah," She said. "You should've." She placed one of them off the side – as Hailey seemed to be if not asleep then close to it – and took the other for herself. She took a sip and – realizing how thirsty she was – followed it up with several more, larger gulps.

As Charlotte continued to drink greedily, the bathroom door opened yet again and Cole stepped inside. He'd put back on the sweatshirt Charlotte had returned to him. "Hey," He said. "She okay?"

Gavin nodded. "She's fine – she puked and now she's passed out."

Cole bopped his head. "Good."

While the two of them started to talk about something, Charlotte – who had drained half of the water bottle now – was feeling strange. Her mouth had this odd...tingling sensation, numbness almost. She felt...druggy. "What did you put in this?" She snapped at Gavin, redirecting the two boys' attention back to her.

They both began to laugh immediately. "Oh," Gavin said. "That's X."

Charlotte's eyes widened. "There's _ecstasy_ in this?" She screeched.

The boys only continued to chuckle. "Well," Gavin told her. "It was supposed to be for me. Whoops."

Laughing, Cole stuck his hands in his pocket. "Hey, since the girl's gonna be okay, why don't we have a little fun?" He pulled out the bag of coke again and Gavin stepped out of the way. Cole began to pour it onto the countertop in lines, while Gavin rolled up a dollar bill.

He gave Cole the honor of the first hit and Charlotte watched in a mixture of horror, disgust and – worst of all – eagerness as he snorted a line. "Well, what do you say?" Cole asked as Gavin took his turn, wiping off his nose. "You want in?" Gavin stood up with a wicked smile on his face and extended the dollar bill to her in offering.

By this point, Charlotte's head was spinning. She be lying if she said she hadn't been tempted on the ride over to pop open Cole's stash and have some. She was an addict – no amount of rehab or length of sobriety would fully kill the urge. Sometimes, she'd still have dreams about it.

Maybe it was that little voice in the back of her head, desperate for a high. Or maybe it was the unspecified amount of ecstasy, its inhibition lowering powers already making their way through her bloodstream. She looked down at Hailey, passed out in her lap, snoring softly through her nose.

Whatever the reason, in that instance – as Gavin extended that rolled up dollar bill to her –she found herself saying "yes".

* * *

Nolan didn't know exactly how long he'd been sitting in his car. His knuckles had turned white from clenching the steering wheel by this point, and the sun was in an entirely different place in the sky from where it had been when he pulled into the parking lot. He didn't have much time left – he knew he had to go now.

He got out of his car and walked over to the prison with his hands in his pockets. He stepped inside and was greeted by the usual guard, putting on a happy face as they made idle chitchat during his pat down. Finally he was allowed to be escorted back and he followed, both of his hands clenching the book he held.

Olivia appeared after only a few moments and she frowned as she was seated across from him. "Nolan, what...what are you doing here?" She spat, but her tone didn't sound genuine – it sounded forced. Like she was purposefully trying to be harsh with him – like she wanted him to stay away.

"I know," He said simply.

Olivia's eyes widened. "What do you mean?"

With a neutral expression, Nolan pulled out the book. He saw a look of perturbation cross Olivia's features. "There's only one entry in this entire book," He explained. "From right before the bombing."

"Nolan…" Olivia started to say, but he persisted.

"Here, I'll read it to you." Nolan flipped open the book, but he was looking at her as he recited. "I'm hopelessly, irrevocably in love with Nolan Ross. Always have been, always will be."

Across from her, Olivia shrunk down into her seat, as if in shame. "Nolan, I'm sorry..."

"Why did you lie to me?" He asked. "I...I opened my heart to you! I told you exactly how I felt about you, how I _feel_ about you…" He shook his head. "How could you look me in the eye and break my heart? Again?"

Olivia sat up again and lifted her shackled hands onto the table, reaching out as if indication she wanted him to grab her hand. With a moment's hesitation, he touched her fingers. "You're right, I already broke your heart once." She admitted. "That's why...that's why I had to lie to you. I couldn't live with myself if I caused you that kind of pain again."

"Why?"

"No whispering!" The guard ordered from his corner, and Olivia resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

"It's true," She said, her voice as low as she could go without being reprimanded. "I do love you…"

"Then why did you tell me you didn't?" Nolan asked. He felt like he might cry, at this point. This was all a lot to take in at once.

"Because Nolan, I'm stuck here." Olivia said. Her voice made it clear that she was emotional as well. "I don't know if I'm ever going to get out! And you don't deserve a life like that Nolan, waiting for someone who's never coming back. You deserve a life, you deserve...a family. I can't give you that. I wish I could."

"But you can," Nolan insisted. "I'm gonna get you out of here, and then it'll be just you, me and Hailey from here on out. We'll leave the Hamptons if you want, okay? We'll go and we'll never come back. We could ask Amanda and Jack to go to Los Angeles with us, or stay at Louise's place in Georgia, we could go back to Massachusetts...Anywhere you want, that's where we'll go. It won't matter as long as we're together."

Olivia smiled forlornly. "I love you for believing that."

Nolan shook his head at her. "I just love you."

They were so close by this point, both of them having leaned in at some point during the conversation. Nolan moved forward slowly and their lips were so close together…

Then the guard appeared by Olivia's side. "We're closing," He chastised, hoisting Olivia to her feet. Nolan knew that probably wasn't true, but attempting to make physical contact was the cardinal sin of prison visits. "Come back tomorrow." _Or don't,_ Nolan knew he was probably thinking.

He rose to his feet, while Olivia was escorted towards the exit. "I promise Olivia," He called after her. "I'm not gonna give up on us!"

 _It can feel good to confess your secrets out loud._

Olivia looked over her shoulder at him and smiled wearily. "I love you, Nolan." And with that, she was gone again.

* * *

 **February 14, 2017 11:39 p.m.**

As the police began their routine questioning – taking them back on an individual basis – Olivia scanned the room from her perch on the couch. Finding Nolan nowhere in sight she got up and walked out of the living room, searching for him intently. After a few moments she stepped out onto the back patio and found him standing there, a drink in his hand, looking out to the sea. "Nolan?" She called, only to receive no answer. "Nolan?"

 _But sometimes we are oblivious to the true power of our confessions._

When he ignored her once again she walked over indignantly. "Nolan!" The wind was beginning to speed up, blowing her hair around her face, and goosebumps raised on her arms from the chilly temperatures. She grabbed Nolan by the arm and spun him around. He looked at her, expressionless, a dead look in his eyes. "What is wrong with you? You've been giving me the cold shoulder all night!" She trailed off, worried. "…Did I do something to upset you?"

Without a word, Nolan reached into his pocket. He retrieved a piece of paper and extended it to her, not saying anything or giving any indication as to what he was thinking.

Olivia snatched it from him. "What is this?"

 _Because until we voice our secrets, we can never know the repercussions that will follow._

Nolan looked at her, a frown on his face. "You lied to me."

"What are you –" Olivia began, but then she cut herself off when she saw what she was looking at. "Oh my God." She breathed. "Nolan…how did you get this?"

 _Until it's too late._


	2. Defense Mechanism

**A/N** : Thanks to everyone who reviewed, favorited and/or added this story to their alerts so far! It's good to know some people actually still want to read what I'm writing and I'm not just talking to myself on here. If you reviewed again (or for the first time) this chapter, it would mean a lot to me. Especially considering I'm going to be on a seven hour cross-country flight to Los Angeles tomorrow and would like some nice words to read while I'm at the airport. (Also since I hate flying, if you wanted to pray for short security lines for me as well I wouldn't object.)

 **Disclaimer** : I'm not affiliated with the TV series _Revenge_.

* * *

 **February 14, 2017 11:57 p.m.**

 **Southampton, New York**

 _Humans are equipped with basic, primal instincts._

"Ms. Anderson, where were you between the hours of five and eight this evening?"

Olivia looked up at the cops standing before her, who were waiting for her response. She ran her hands up and down her arms, still cold from standing outside. Nolan was on the other end of the couch, not looking at her, his hand stuffed in his pocket – she wondered if he was still gripping the paper with which he had confronted her moments before.

 _The mentality which we need to survive in the world we live in._

"I was at home," Olivia replied. "Getting ready for this party."

"And where is home exactly?" One of the officers asked.

"One of my former co-workers is out of town and is letting me use their apartment until I can find a new place to live." She explained. "It's in Brooklyn so about a two hour drive."

"Can anyone corroborate your story?" The second cop asked her. "Or were you home alone?"

 _Perhaps the most basic instinct is the need for protection._

Olivia got a nervous feeling in her stomach. Hailey was nowhere in sight, and nevertheless her daughter hadn't been with her all night. There really was no one who could verify her whereabouts. Unless… "Nolan," She piped up. The man looked up at her from the other end of the couch at the sound of his name. "Nolan, I was home tonight, wasn't I?" She looked at him, her eyes pleading for him to go along.

She couldn't go back to jail. She couldn't.

 _The need to protect yourself from perceived threats._

"Actually," Nolan said, looking at the cops and not at her. "I don't know for sure. I was at The Hamptons Beach Club until about nine. I had a few drinks and then came here. The bartender can attest to that." The cops nodded and he rose to go but Olivia grabbed his arm.

"What the Hell?" She whispered through clenched teeth. "Nolan, please. They think it was me! I can't go back to prison!"

Nolan smiled sadly at her. "I want to trust you...but right now I can't." He wrenched his arm free from her grasp, before walking out of the room.

 _And from things that might cause you pain._

Olivia rose and put her face in her hands. She could practically feel her blood pressure rising and turned to follow him. "Ms. Anderson," One of the cops called. "We have some more questions."

"I'm sorry," She said, looking back at him. "I just need a minute."

Once she was in the hallway she let out a breath she hadn't even realized she'd been holding. Her face felt a good ten degrees hotter than it had moments before. Nolan was right – she was a liar. And now he probably thought she was a murderer too. And she couldn't blame anyone but herself for that.

After a moment she found Hailey, standing by herself in the dining room, pressing buttons on her phone. She stopped and stared at her for a minute, deep in thought. Hailey was the best thing that had ever happened to her in her sorry life. When she felt like she had no reason to go on, Hailey had been the motivation she needed to live. She couldn't lose her too…

 _We all have our ways of protecting ourselves._

Olivia walked over to her, knowing what she had to do. "Hailey, honey." She began softly. Her daughter didn't even look up. "I need to talk to you…"

"What?" Hailey asked, finally realizing she was being spoken to. "Oh, sorry Mom. I'm kinda preoccupied right now. Later?"

Olivia was silent for a moment, then gave in. "Okay," She said, before walking off dejectedly.

Once she was gone Hailey pressed her phone to her ear, listening as it rang. "Dammit," She mumbled when she once again received only the machine.

 _When we experience what feels like danger._

"Spencer!" She said, once she heard the telltale beep. "Where are you? You haven't answered me all night and I'm starting to get worried. Please call me back, okay?"

* * *

 **October 17, 2016 8:30 a.m.**

 **The Bronx, New York**

Olivia felt uncomfortable as she walked through the prison bathroom. All around her, people turned and stared when she walked by. It had become painfully clear to her right away that she was notorious around here – the bombing had been such a high-profile crime that even the prison inmates knew everything about her.

She walked up to the sink and turned it on, frowning when she saw the grotesque color of the water that came out. It wasn't quite clear, but murky. She was about to suck it up when she heard the sound of footsteps, approaching her from behind.

Olivia spun around and was immediately face to face with three women – one who was clearly the leader and two others who flanked her sides. And all of them were at least twice her size.

"You're that girl right?" The leader said menacingly. "Who blew up that building?"

Olivia gulped – she knew it wasn't really a question. "That's what they say. But it's not true."

The leader stepped towards her. Once she could see her up close, Olivia realized she had seen her before – she was the woman who'd spit on her. "My little brother – he was a paralegal. A real good one too." She paused, a frown on her face. "He's dead now. He died cause of _your_ bomb."

A look of pure horror crossed Olivia's face. "Oh my God." She said. "I am so, so sorry…"

The woman shook her head. "Sorry doesn't cut it."

Olivia opened her mouth to explain herself but the women inched closer to her. One of them cracked her knuckles. "No, please –" She said, but she was cut off when one of their fists connected with her stomach.

* * *

Nolan was startled from a deep sleep by the persistent ringing of his cell phone. Sleepily he leaned over and fumbled for it in the dark. "Hello?"

The person on the other end of the line began to speak, and at first he didn't comprehend what was being said. Then suddenly, he bolted upright. "What did you just say?"

* * *

As Spencer strode down the hall of Hailey's dorm, he could feel the eyes of passersby all pointed in his direction. Not only was he unrecognizable to them, but he was a guy in a girls' dorm. He didn't care though, focused on his mission, walking determinedly to Hailey's room and rapping on the door. "Hailey? It's Spencer. Can I come in?"

A few moments passed before the door opened just a crack. "Go away," Hailey bemoaned. The door was opened so slightly that all he could see was half her face, her tired looking eye pointed at him and her messy hair further obstructing her visage. "I just want to be alone."

She tried to close the door but Spencer stuck his hand between it and the frame, preventing her from doing so. "Hailey," He said, his voice soft. "Please, it's about your mom."

After a moment's hesitation the door opened wide, granting him access. By the time Spencer walked through the doorway Hailey had already turned her back, starting to walk back to her bed and plopping down face first. Her hair was sticking up in the back and she was only wearing an oversized T-shirt and a tiny pair of shorts, like she'd just been sleeping moments before. "I just told you something is wrong with your mom," Spencer said. "And you don't care?" Still, Hailey didn't respond. "Hailey, your mother was attacked this morning."

She turned her head and looked at him. The look in her eyes was so blank and expressionless, he wondered how she could be so indifferent. "Is she gonna be okay?"

Spencer nodded. "They think so."

"Good," Hailey said. "Cause I'm really not in any position to see anyone." She moved to roll back over again but Spencer impulsively reached out and grabbed her shoulder, halting her mid-motion.

"Are you hungover?" He asked. Hailey only blinked at him in response, and that was the only answer he needed. He backed up and put his face in his hands. "Oh my God, Hailey. What is the matter with you?"

"It's really none of your business, Spencer." She finally stood up, her arms crossed over her chest defensively. "You have no idea what I'm going through."

"Of course I do!" He thundered. "I lost my parents too, remember?"

A long silence settled between them. Spencer looked at her, breathing heavily from his sudden outburst. Hailey shifted from one foot to the other, staring at the floor. After a moment she opened her nightstand drawer and retrieved a manila folder, bursting at the seams from whatever she had shoved inside. Spencer watched her curiously as she extended it for him to take. "I think I found my father."

Spencer took the folder in his hands, smiling hesitantly. "Well that's good, isn't it?"

Hailey stared at him silently, a haunted look on her face. "Spencer," She said gravely. "My father…my father is Maxwell Hanna."

* * *

In the process of getting the beach club ready for opening, Amanda paused from stacking glasses, checking her phone to see if Nolan had sent her another message – no new notifications.

"Any more from Nolan?" Jack asked as he exited the kitchen, bringing with him a new batch of freshly washed dishes.

"Still nothing," She said as she took the new load and placed them on the counter. "They may not even let him see her."

"Hopefully Olivia's okay," Jack said, but he paused when he saw the somber look on his wife's face. He touched her shoulder comfortingly. "Everything alright?"

She nodded feebly. "Yeah. Just makes me think about...you know."

"Worst kind of déjà vu, huh?"

They were interrupted by the reappearance of little Carl, a panting Bay at his heels. "Daddy, Bay wants to go outside."

Jack looked at Amanda and once she nodded – affirming that she was fine by herself – he turned his attention to his son. "Alright little man, let's go."

He opened the door for the dog just like he did every day, not even really paying attention at first. Bay ran forward excitably, but then he froze, suddenly beginning to whine and then running back inside. Confused by the dog's behavior he looked up, and that's when Jack saw them.

A million camera flashes all seemed to go off at once. "Is it true that Olivia Anderson was attacked in prison today?" One paparazzo asked.

"Jack!" Another called out. "Are you aware of any possible relationship between Nolan Ross and Olivia Anderson?"

"Do you and your wife have any doubts about becoming involved in another high-profile terrorism case?"

From behind, Carl began to peek out, wondering what was going on. Jack turned back around, spotting the little boy cowering behind his father's legs. "Go back inside," He ordered and Carl immediately backed away. Amanda pulled him into her awaiting arms, having left her position at the bar to see what was going on, and held Carl close to obstruct him from view.

Jack turned to look at the paparazzi again, his blood boiling at this point. If these vultures wanted to follow him, fine – but his kid? His kid was off limits. "If you ever come here again," He said sternly. "You will be slapped with a lawsuit so fast your heads will spin." And then he slammed the door without another word.

* * *

"Hello?"

Drew sat up a little straighter in his chair, surprised that she'd finally answered the phone. This was the third time he'd tried to reach her and this time she hadn't picked up until after it already went to her machine. "Hey, Char. Sorry, did I wake you?"

"No," Charlotte insisted, but there was something about her voice that made him think otherwise – it sounded groggy. Like she wasn't fully... _there_. "What's up?"

"Well," He continued, brushing it off as nothing. "I was wondering if you wanted to get lunch later – wherever you want." There was a long pause on her end, and it sounded like she'd covered up the receiver. He could faintly hear a faraway voice. "Charlotte? You still there?"

"What? Oh yeah, sorry." There was another pause and what sounded like someone else's laughter. "The people in the dorm next door are just being really loud…"

"So what do you think?"

"About what?"

"Lunch."

"Oh..." She trailed off. "Yeah, I don't think I can make it today. I have a um...history paper. 10,000 words."

"Oh," Drew sighed. "Well, okay. Call me when you're done?"

"Right. Yeah, sure. Okay, I gotta go. I'll see you later."

"Bye -" But just like that, he heard the telltale click that indicated she'd hung up on him.

Drew was caught off guard by her abrupt ending of their call. He placed the phone back in its cradle and took a look around the Ross & Associates office. So far today, it was dead – at the moment, Olivia was pretty much their only client. He'd already caught himself up on paperwork, and Nolan would probably be at the prison for a while.

He stood up and grabbed his coat. Maybe a surprise visit was exactly what his girlfriend needed…

* * *

They wouldn't let him see her.

Nolan paced around the prison entrance anxiously. Despite his pleas to the guards on duty, they had all told him that Olivia was not allowed to have visitors at the moment. They wouldn't even tell him if she was okay! He sighed audibly and took his face in his hands. He hated not knowing what was going on with her…

"Mr. Ross?"

He looked up when he heard his name called, wondering if the warden had come to speak to him like he'd demanded. Only it wasn't the warden – it was a corrections officer. Nolan actually recognized the man standing before him – it was the same guard who had been in the room when Olivia had admitted how she felt about him. He glared, remembering how the guard had ripped Olivia away from him mid-conversation. "I'm not leaving."

"I know," The guard said. "I'm the one who called you." Nolan looked at him surprisedly – him, of all people? "I felt bad for the other day. That woman's been through enough. She deserves to have someone around who actually cares about her…" He trailed off and looked both ways, to make sure no one was watching them. "Do you want me to take you to her?"

Nolan perked up. "You'd do that?"

The guard nodded. "It's the least I can do."

The officer took him through the guards' entrance at the back of the prison, where they got in no problem, and then around to the infirmary. After asking the nurse for a moment alone with the inmate, he gave Nolan the clear to enter once she was gone. Nolan stopped in his tracks when he entered.

Olivia was sitting on one of the cots, hunched over, her arms crossed over her chest. There were bruises all up and down her arms and cuts on her face. When she looked up and saw him she smiled, but it quickly turned to a wince – her lip was busted and it clearly hurt for her to do the simple action. "Nolan. You're here."

"Are you okay?" He breathed, rushing over to take her into his arms. She pressed her cheek up against his chest and grabbed onto him by his shirt, desperate for contact.

"I'll be fine," Olivia assured him. "It'll heal within a few days…"

"Olivia," He mumbled, and he held her at arm's length so he could look at her. She was trying to be strong but he could see it in her eyes - the pain, the fear. "You don't have to pretend to be okay when you're not. Not with me."

"I'm fine," She insisted, but her voice broke over the last word, like she might burst into tears at any moment. He touched her cheek and she finally let out a choked sob, unable to hold it together anymore. He wrapped his arms tightly around her, pulling her into him again.

"It's okay," Nolan whispered to her. "It's going to be okay…"

Olivia cried into his chest for a moment longer until it finally subsided. She looked up at him, her tears beginning to cease, and met his eyes. "I'm sorry," She blubbered. "I'm such a mess, and I've...I've caused so much damage..."

He wiped a tear away with his thumb. "You're not a mess. You're incredibly strong. Most people would've given up by now, but not you." Olivia smiled at him feebly.

"Yeah, well," She said. "It helps when you have something to fight for."

Nolan smiled. "Hailey?"

"Yeah. And you too."

For a moment he just looked at her, not knowing what he could do to make her feel better. Olivia only nodded in encouragement and slowly he leaned in, the distance closing between their lips when –

"I'm sorry." Both of them turned and spotted the corrections officer who had re-appeared in the open doorway. "But you need to leave now. We're about to have a shift change."

Nolan nodded reluctantly, then turned back to Olivia. "I have to go, but I'll come visit you soon, alright?"

Olivia shook her head. "Okay. I wish you could stay longer…"

Nolan touched her shoulder, before following the guard as he ushered him out. "This will all be over soon," He told Olivia. "I promise."

* * *

After Hailey's surprising confession, Spencer was at a loss. He only stared at her for a moment, Hailey looking at him like she might cry. After a few seconds he slowly lowered himself into a sitting position on the bed, the manila folder still clenched between his fingers. "Are you sure?" He asked tentatively. "I mean he's a…he's a…"

"Terrorist?" Hailey filled in. "Yeah, he is." She sat down next to Spencer but didn't look at him, staring at the ground.

"Hailey," Spencer said. "It's got to be a mistake…"

Hailey shook her head. "Check the folder."

Spencer looked back to the folder in his lap, and then hesitantly opened the cover. Inside he found Hailey's extensive research – highlighted photocopies from Olivia's diaries, maps with locations she'd circled, and copies of articles from the Internet. He spotted one that came from the website of what looked like a church. "Who's Michael Underwood?"

"My mother's ex-husband," Hailey informed him. "It's their wedding announcement. I asked Nolan to find everything he could about him, and that was one of the things he sent me. I thought Mike was my father, but it doesn't match. MU – not MH."

Spencer opened his mouth to respond, but a stack of printed out photos diverted his attention. He took a picture in his hand that particularly peaked his interest. It was of three men in button down shirts and ties – a balding, overweight man, a gray-haired older man, and then a young, skinny guy in the middle. He had more hair, his teeth were still white, and his rolled up sleeves showed no tattoos, but Spencer recognized him immediately – Maxwell Hanna.

"When I realized Mike Underwood wasn't my father, I did more research. That photo was from MassEcon's summer internship program in 1996 – they were an accounting firm in Cambridge." Hailey explained. "And guess who was an intern there that same summer?"

"Olivia," He finished. "But Hailey, that doesn't prove anything."

"Do you remember what Hanna said to us when we visited him in prison?" Hailey asked, not stopping. "He called me the terrorist's daughter, and I said I wasn't – but he just laughed." She bit her lip. "What if he wasn't talking about my mom but…himself?"

Spencer shook his head. "Hailey, stop. You'll just drive yourself crazy, making theories like this." But inside, his mind was spinning too – he thought about what Hanna had said on the stand in court. _Do you really think I'd forget such a hot piece of ass?_ He resisted the urge to shudder and pushed the thought from his mind. He refused to believe that that horrible man could be related to a girl like Hailey.

"Just think about it Spencer," Hailey persisted. "My mother referred to my father in her journals as MH – the same initials as Maxwell Hanna. The two of them met before I was born. And we know my mother was chosen to be framed before Chamberlain had a relationship with her – if one of his colleagues was her spurned ex-lover and baby daddy, that's a pretty good reason to pick her to be your patsy isn't it?"

Spencer shut the folder and looked at Hailey. He touched her cheek and tilted her chin up, forcing her to meet his gaze. "This doesn't prove anything. Maybe Michael Underwood's middle name starts with H – you don't know for sure that Hanna is your dad, Hailey. For all you know, that accounting firm was so big your mom never even met him."

"I guess you're right…" Hailey said, but she seemed unconvinced.

"Look," Spencer said. "I promise I'll help you find your father, Hailey. But I have one condition – you can't keep drinking like this, okay? It's not who you are."

Hesitantly, Hailey nodded. "Okay." She said. "Okay, I promise."

* * *

Louise speared a piece of lettuce with her fork, while across from her Martha Barlow was mid-impassioned speech about her plans for her charity. Louise tried to listen, but her mind kept straying. She wanted so badly to tell this poor woman the truth – but the logical part of her brain knew the advice Amanda and Jack had given her had been right. As much as they wished they could tell Martha the truth, it would be too dangerous for themselves to do so. It wasn't like they could prove that Chamberlain had killed Lucas – and the last thing they needed was another one of their group to end up in jail for something they didn't do.

"Wow," Martha breathed, finishing her spiel. "I'm sorry, that was so much longer than I intended. So what do you think?"

Louise gave her a half-hearted smile. "You're passionate, darling. There's nothing wrong with that."

Martha nodded, and a wistful look crossed her face. "I…I miss Lucas every single day. And I can't help but wonder if there was something, _anything_ I could've done…" She trailed off and shook her head. "I want to spare other mothers that same kind of pain. Every child should know how much they're loved."

The waiter dropped off the check and Martha reached for it, but Louise wasn't even paying attention by this point. Without thinking, she grabbed the other woman's hand, catching her off guard. The words came flying out of her mouth before she could stop them. "Lucas didn't kill himself."

Martha looked up at her, her eyes wide with surprise. "…What did you just say?"

Louise gulped. There would be no taking it back now. "Your son – he didn't…he didn't take his own life, Martha."

The older woman stared at her for a long moment with a shocked expression, clearly at a loss for words. "And how could you possibly know that?"

Louise opened her mouth, but nothing came out. "I…I…"

"Do you know something I don't?" Louise just stared at her, open-mouthed. What was she supposed to say to that? Martha stood up forcefully, gathering her purse and looking at Louise with a fierce expression. "I don't know what your endgame is here," She snapped. "But whatever it is, I'm done. Don't talk to me again, you understand?"

"Martha –" Louise began to say but the woman turned and walked away, storming off before Louise could say anything more.

What on Earth did she just do?

* * *

As Drew approached Charlotte's dorm room, he noticed that the door was slightly ajar. That was a little odd, but he assumed she'd just gotten absorbed in what she was doing and forgotten to close it. With a smile on his face he walked inside, but when he saw the sight before him he froze. "What the Hell?"

His girlfriend was sitting on the floor, in between two boys he'd never seen before. One of them had his head down, a rolled up dollar bill pressed to his nose as he snorted white powder off the tabletop. Charlotte looked up with wide eyes when she realized they weren't alone. "Drew," She breathed, and the guy on her other side quickly retracted his arm – Drew's stomach churned when he realized this guy had had his arm wrapped around _his_ girlfriend. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to surprise you," Drew said, jaw clenched. "But it seems like I'm the one who got the surprise." He tried to keep his cool, but inside he was fuming. He was on a cliff, and all he needed was one breeze to push him over the edge.

The first guy placed down the dollar bill and stood up with a wicked smile on his face, before walking over to Drew with his hand extended. "Hey man, I'm Gavin. Wanna join in?"

That was all it took for Drew. He grabbed this guy by the collar of his shirt and pushed him up against the wall with all of his might, the guy's head whacking it with a thud. He could hear Charlotte scream. "You ever give her drugs again," Drew roared. "And I swear to God I _will_ kill you! You understand?" The guy – Gavin – only smiled twistedly at him from his spot under Drew's grip.

"That's enough!" Drew found himself being shoved to the side and when he turned he saw Charlotte, glaring at him, eyes flashing. "God Drew, we're just having fun!"

"Having fun?" Drew thundered back at her. "Don't you realize how dangerous drugs are Charlotte? One day my mom took a bad line of coke and she never woke up! Do you really think I want that to happen to you, huh? How could you be so stupid?"

"Hey dude," The second guy interjected, standing up at this point. It was clear to Drew that he was also as high as a kite. "Just leave her alone! Mind your own damn business." Seeing red, Drew lunged for him, intending to punch this guy in his smug face, but Charlotte placed her hands on his chest and sent him careening backwards.

"Get out of here, Drew!" She screamed at him.

Drew shook his head. "I'm not leaving you here with them."

Charlotte let out a loud sigh. "Oh my God Drew, just leave me the Hell alone! I don't want you here, alright? It's over! Get out!"

* * *

Amanda reappeared from the beach house kitchen, spotting her husband and stepson getting situated on the living room floor among a sea of blankets. Carl perked up when he saw her, smiling widely. "Mommy, come on! We're gonna watch a movie!"

She shared a smile with Jack, before lifting up the blankets so she could sit down next to them. "Alright, what are we watching?"

"Finding Nemo," Jack told her, with a wry smile.

Amanda looked at Carl and playfully elbowed him. "Can't you recite the entire movie by now, huh?" The little boy laughed and she tickled his sides, sending him into an uncontrollable flurry of giggles.

Jack watched them for a moment in silence and waited for his son's laughter to subside before he wrapped an arm around his little back. "Are you okay, buddy?" He asked with concern. "After what happened this morning?"

Carl nodded. "Yeah." He wrinkled his nose. "But why did they want photos of us? We're boring." Both of his parents chuckled at this.

"Yeah, you're right." Jack agreed, grabbing the remote to turn on the movie. "We are."

As the opening scene of the movie became to play Amanda's attention remained focused on her two boys beside her. She watched as the TV screen cast a blue glow on their faces, Carl turning to his dad to exclaim that he wished they could live in the ocean too, causing Jack to laugh and shake his head before ruffling Carl's hair.

Sometimes she still really couldn't believe it – this was her family. The family she loved more than anything. The family she'd do anything to protect.

* * *

 **February 15, 2017 12:00 a.m.**

 **Southampton, New York**

 _From a young age we are taught skills of self-protection._

As the clock struck midnight Jack paced back and forth in the foyer, while Amanda sat at the bottom of the staircase, her arms crossed. "Maybe we should just tell him," Jack said, glancing at her over his shoulder as he continued to shift nervously. "Nolan will understand, right?"

"It's not easy to explain." Amanda responded. "What are we going to tell him?"

Jack shrugged. "I don't know – the truth?"

Amanda sighed, giving in. "Fine. But he's not going to be happy about it."

 _Things we need to know to keep ourselves safe._

As if on cue they spotted their friend, walking out of the living room and heading in their direction. "Hey, Nolan –" Jack started to say, while Amanda got to her feet, but the other man brushed right past them.

"Sorry," He said to them, and it was clear to the two that he was not in a good mood. "I just…have to get out of here." Before they could say anything else he opened the front door and stepped out into the cold, dark night, quickly disappearing from view and slamming the door behind him.

 _But people also have their own unorthodox ways of coping with the troubles around them._

Amanda and Jack stood there in silence for a moment, left staring at the empty space that their friend had occupied a moment before. "Well," Amanda deadpanned. "New plan?"

Jack took his face in his hands, clearly overwhelmed. "God, what do we do?"

"I guess…" His wife began uncertainly. "We…do _it_."

 _And they will go to great lengths to defend themselves…_

Jack looked up at her, visibly conflicted. "What are we going to say? Nolan is our friend –"

"I don't want to hurt Nolan," Amanda interjected. "Of course I don't. But what I won't do is take a chance on our son's safety, Jack. I won't."

Realizing she was right, her husband nodded in silent agreement – as much as he wanted to be loyal to Nolan, Carl's wellbeing had to come first. "Yeah." He conceded. "Yeah, you're right…"

… _or those who matter most._

An uncomfortable silence settled between them, with no one saying anything at all. Their night had quickly taken a turn for the worst. It was clear to both of them that they were going to have to do something they did not want to do, and possibly hurt their best friend in the process...


	3. Worst Nightmare

**A/N** : Thanks for all your reviews, and here is chapter three! Though I originally planned for this story to be ten chapters, I think now it's actually going to be twelve. I think the end of this chapter is going to make you go "WHAT?"

 **Disclaimer** : I am not affiliated with _Revenge_.

* * *

 **February 15, 2017 12:03 a.m.**

 **Southampton, New York**

 _Fear._

"So Miss Ellis, can you tell us where you were tonight?"

 _We've all felt it._

Louise met the eyes of the two police officers who were both sitting before her, waiting expectantly for an answer. "I was here." She said matter-of-factly. "I was preparing for my party all night, and then entertaining my guests when they arrived."

"Can anyone vouch for your whereabouts between the hours of five and eight?"

"My staff will tell you that I never left." She raised an eyebrow at them. "May I go now?"

The two cops exchanged a look, and then one of them nodded at the other. They both looked at her again. "Miss Ellis, we'd like to talk about the death of Lucas Barlow."

Louise's blood practically ran cold at the mention of his name but her expression remained neutral, and she crossed her arms over her chest. "I don't know what that man's death has to do with this."

"As you may know, Miss Ellis," The officer explained. "The coroner's initial ruling was that Lucas Barlow's death was a suicide. But the case was later reopened – after Mr. Barlow's mother told us that she had reasons to suspect you were involved in his death, Miss Ellis."

 _Fear can manifest itself in many ways._

Louise looked down at her lap, silent for a second and wringing her hands together. "Officers," She said finally. "I don't know what you're trying to do here, but let me tell you – we both know well and good that that investigation went nowhere. And I had nothing to do with this murder. So, if you're finished, then I'd like to leave now – it's very late, and I'd like to retire for the evening."

The two cops hesitated, then gave in. "Thank you for your time, Miss Ellis."

 _It can take over our minds._

She nodded her head before standing up and fleeing the room.

* * *

 **October 25, 2016 8:30 a.m.**

 _It can chill us to the bone._

He stared at her with hollow, black eyes, face sallow, expression blank. His breath was right up against her face, cold as ice, and she wanted to scream but she couldn't. His nails dug into her flesh and he grabbed her hand, placing something small and heavy inside of it. "They killed me."

 _And it can torment us even when we sleep._

Louise woke with a start, a scream lodged in her throat, and gasped for air. It had been a dream - just a dream.

She put her face in her hands and took some deep breaths, trying to calm herself down. Lately, her nightmares had increased, the dead face of Lucas Barlow haunting her as she slept. She bolted upright and tried to regain her composure, but his words were still ringing in her ears.

 _They killed me._

 _They killed me._

 _They killed me._

* * *

Around mid-morning, Hailey was awoken by a light knocking at her door. She got up to answer it and smiled when she saw who was standing there. "Hi - come in."

Spencer stepped inside, a take-out tray of coffees in one hand, a brown paper bag tucked under his arm and his briefcase slung over his opposite shoulder. "Sorry if I woke you - I thought maybe you might want breakfast."

"That's sweet of you," Hailey said. She ran a hand through her messy blonde ponytail and gestured for Spencer to sit down on her bed. The two of them got situated, Hailey taking the bag and Spencer offering her one of the coffees. "Vanilla soy latte. Extra foam."

"You remembered!" Hailey said with a smile, opening the paper bag. "Oooh, and cinnamon sugar donuts? My favorite."

Spencer cracked a smile at her. "Mine too."

They ate in silence for a moment, and Hailey nearly moaned in pleasure as she popped a piece of donut in her mouth. Spencer watched her silently, then lowered his coffee cup. "You look better."

Hailey looked up, growing serious. "Yeah," She said. "Look I...I'm sorry for how I acted before. I was a total brat."

Spencer nodded. "It's okay, I understand." He placed his coffee down on the bedside table, and opened his briefcase. Hailey watched him curiously as she chewed. He sat up, some paper now in his hand, and he handed it to Hailey. "I was doing some research."

Hailey looked down at the paper and she frowned at what she saw - Maxwell Hanna's mugshot was staring back up at her. "Dear old dad," She deadpanned.

"No," Spencer objected. "Hailey, he's not your father."

Hailey gave him a look. "Spencer, I know you're trying to make me feel better but -"

"No, Hailey listen." He cut her off. "Maxwell Hanna really is not your father. Look at the article."

Hailey did as she was told, scanning it over quickly. "Okay, he was sentenced to a year for assault and battery. What does that prove other than my dad's rap sheet is longer than we thought?"

"I checked," Spencer explained. "And Maxwell Hanna was incarcerated until April 1997. The dates don't match up – he would've been in jail around the time of your conception. Hailey, he's not your dad."

Hailey looked up at him, realization sinking in. "He's not my dad…" She mumbled, mostly to herself. On one hand she was so relieved – this monster wasn't her father. But on the other she knew that this meant she was back to square one. "So I guess we're at a dead end then…"

"Not necessarily," Spencer insisted. "I found Mike Underwood in the phone book. He lives in Hartford now – we could be there in three hours."

Hailey raised an eyebrow at him. "You want to just show up at his house?"

He shrugged. "It's worth a shot. I mean come on Hailey...there's a chance you could meet your dad _today_."

His words stirred excitement instead of Hailey. She'd waited nineteen years to meet her father - and now she might be about to. "Okay." She conceded. "Okay, let's go."

* * *

The beach club was fairly deserted on that lazy Tuesday morning. As he sat at the bar, Nolan absentmindedly ran his finger around his glass's condensation coated rim. He had his papers spread out across from him on the empty bar, laid out as he mentally went over his plans for this appeal. He looked to his side and glanced at Carl, who was drawing a picture on a cocktail napkin with crayons. The little boy looked up when he saw Nolan staring at him. "Are you sad Uncle Nolan?"

He shook his head. "Not sad, buddy. Just...frustrated."

Carl looked over to where Jack was standing behind the bar. "Daddy, what does frustrated mean?" He couldn't say the word properly so it came out sounding like "fus-ter-ated".

Jack smiled at him reassuringly. "Uncle Nolan's just a little worried about his case, that's all."

"Oh..." Carl said, before looking back at Nolan, a smile appearing on his face. "I'll draw you a picture, Uncle Nolan! Then you won't be frustrated anymore."

Nolan smiled and chuckled. "Thanks, Carl."

Amanda reappeared from the back room then and refilled her friend's glass. "How's the appeal going so far?" She asked.

"I feel like there's reasonable doubt here," Nolan explained. "But I also felt that way the first time…"

Jack glanced to make sure Carl was preoccupied before he spoke. "Something about this just doesn't feel right to me. I've been thinking about...the guy who died."

"What about him?" Amanda asked. "We all know…" She looked at Carl, who was blissfully oblivious to the severity of the adults' discussion. "...what happened to him. _Who_ happened to him."

"Lucas Barlow and the Chamberlains were supposed to be allies," Jack clarified. "Then just like that one of them ended up dead. Something had to have triggered it, right?"

Nolan shook his head. "Now you're starting to sound like Louise."

Amanda cleared her throat and the two men looked up, just as the door opened and Louise entered. She walked over determinedly, holding onto her purse with clenched hands, and approached Nolan. He could see bags under her eyes, barely concealed by her makeup. "I need you. Right now."

"Okay…" Nolan began hesitantly. "What's going on?"

"I think I found some evidence. For the appeal." Louise explained. Nolan exchanged a look with Amanda and Jack and then rose, while Louise started to lead him towards the door.

"Uncle Nolan!" He turned around, halfway towards the exit as Carl jumped up and ran towards him, the cocktail napkin he'd drawn his picture on clenched in his hands. "You forgot your picture!"

Nolan gave him a tight-lipped smile. "Thanks, buddy – but I think Auntie Lulu needs it more than me."

With a grin, Carl turned to Louise and handed his drawing to her, and she smiled feebly at him as she took it. "Thank you, pumpkin."

The two adults walked out together, Louise with Carl's drawing clenched in her hand. "Where exactly are we going?" Nolan asked her curiously.

"Brett Chamberlain's apartment," Louise said. Nolan turned to look at her, perplexed, and she gulped. "We're gonna break in."

* * *

"Hey, I need to talk to you."

Charlotte looked up from applying her makeup and scowled when she saw the figure standing in her open doorway. "There's nothing for us to talk about, Drew." She said snappily, turning back to put on her eyeliner. "Unless the phrase 'we're over' was too complicated for you to understand. Do I need to use different words?"

Drew stepped forward, undeterred by her harsh words. "Please don't throw your life away like this, Charlotte." He said, practically begging. "You've worked so hard...I don't want to see you go down this road. Because trust me, once you reach a certain point there's no going back."

She capped the lid on her eyebrow pencil and glared at him. "My private life stopped being your business the minute I broke up with you, Drew. Please leave now."

Drew heard the sounds of footsteps behind him, and when he turned he saw Gavin and Cole leaning against the doorframe, smug smiles on their faces. "Hey Charlie," The latter said. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah," Charlotte said, her eyes still locked with Drew's. "Let's go."

"You're going to a party?" Drew said – he was starting to get a little angrier now, but he tried to suppress his temper. "In the middle of the day?"

"It's fall recess and Charlie passed her midterms," Gavin said. "So we're celebrating."

Charlotte stood up and grabbed her purse. She walked over to Gavin and Cole and stood between the two. "It's over, Drew." She said. "Just go home." The two boys smiled, and Drew saw what he thought was Cole's hand going up the back of Charlotte's dress. Her cherry red lips formed a satisfied smirk, and Drew finally broke.

"Fine," He spat bitterly. "Go get yourself killed, see if I care! Apparently coke is more important to you than your own life, anyway!"

Gavin and Cole were unable to contain their delight, while Charlotte looked at Drew silently for a moment, her head tilted. "I'm sorry." She said, before turning and walking out. Gavin and Cole dutifully followed with gleeful smiles.

Drew felt his fists clench and unclench. All he could think about was his mom – how one night she'd come home from a party with two strange men, and shuffled Drew and his sister into his room with the instruction to stay there until she said so. It felt like days that Drew and his little sister had sat in there, waiting for their mother to come back, confused and scared and hungry, until Drew finally went to go see what was wrong. He remembered how he'd found his mom, lying on her back on top of her bed, a trail of blood coming from her nose…

"Charlotte!" He called out, filled with regret, but when he stepped out into the hallway he found no one – Charlotte was gone.

* * *

Hailey could practically hear the erratic beating of her own heart as she and Spencer walked towards Mike Underwood's house. It was a little house, a white one story with blue shutters. In the front, there were manicured bushes and a few remnants of summer flowers. It was a picture perfect home - a place where Hailey could've grown up, if things had gone differently.

As they reached the doorstep, Spencer touched her arm gently. "Are you ready?"

Hailey took a deep breath, and then she nodded. "Just...just do it before I change my mind."

Spencer lowered his hand and wrapped his fingers through Hailey's comfortingly. Then he reached out and rang the doorbell.

Hailey waited with baited breath as she saw the door begin to open. She squeezed Spencer's hand, momentarily unable to breathe.

A man stood before them, the screen separating him from Hailey and Spencer. He was tall and muscular, his blonde hair short and starting to gray, and his blue eyes flitted between the two of them. "Can I help you kids with something?"

Hailey looked to Spencer for encouragement, and he nodded. She turned back to Mike. "My name is Hailey Anderson." She said. "Olivia Anderson is my mother. And I think you might be my father."

Mike Underwood just stared at them for a moment, looking ashen, like he'd just seen a ghost. And maybe in some way, he had.

Finally, he opened the screen door and stepped aside. "You both should come in."

* * *

Nolan had a nervous feeling in the pit of his stomach as he and Louise stepped off the elevator. "What are we going to do if he's home?" He asked.

Louise waved off his concern. "He's not – I saw him get into a car with his wife late this morning. They're not back yet."

Nolan's eyes widened, while Louise continued to walk determinedly towards Chamberlain's penthouse apartment. "You were spying on them?!"

Louise gave him a look. "Do you honestly think I would go in there if I didn't know what I was getting myself into?"

They reached the door to the Chamberlains' apartment, and Nolan reached for the knob. Just like he'd expected, it didn't open – the door was locked. "Alright, here's what we're going to do: I'm going to make us a pair of fake IDs with the Chamberlains' names on them. Then we're going to go to a locksmith, and you'll pretend that you locked us out of our apartment -"

Louise scoffed. "Oh honey, quit goin' round your ass to get to your elbow." He watched as she ripped out the pin holding her hair in place, causing her red waves to cascade loose down her shoulders, and unbent the pin so it was a straight pick. She knelt down and swiftly stuck it in the lock, turning for a few moments until finally a smile came to her face. Much to Nolan's surprise, the door opened with ease. Louise beamed at him, pleased with herself. "I watched some YouTube videos on how to pick locks with bobby pins. Easy peasy!" She rose to her feet and sashayed inside without another word.

"...Or we could do it that way too." Nolan said to himself, before following her inside.

* * *

"You sure you don't want some more?"

Charlotte turned her head, seeing Gavin placing another line on the tabletop. She was currently squeezed in between the two boys, sitting on the floor, Cole's arm feeling heavy around her waist. The whole house smelled like marijuana smoke and the drunken laughter from all over the place was making her head spin. "No thanks, I'm...I'm good."

Gavin shrugged. "Suit yourself."

As the two guys passed the rolled up dollar bill between them, Charlotte looked down at her lap dejectedly. Her phone vibrated from its perch on her knee with another unread text message - it was Drew, again. _Charlotte please, answer me. I'm not mad, I just want to help. Tell me where you are and I'll come get you._

After a moment's hesitation, she typed a response. _Everything's fine. Please just leave me alone._ Her finger hovered over the 'send' button for a moment, but she couldn't press it. Finally, she just deleted the message.

"Hey," Cole said, glancing at her as he wiped off his nose. "You okay?"

Charlotte smiled half-heartedly. "I'm alright, I...I'm just a little tired. Mind if I lie down for a little bit?"

Gavin nodded. "Sure - first door on the left's my room. You can sleep there."

"Thanks." Charlotte got up off the floor and walked towards the hallway, nearly tripping over discarded beer cans and red Solo cups. She walked into Gavin's room - all the lights were off, but she didn't bother turning them on as she made her way over to his twin bed. Her head was buzzing, her high still wearing off, and she was totally plastered.

As she sat down on Gavin's bed, Charlotte caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. Her hair was mussed, her lipstick smudged, and the spaghetti strap of her dress falling down her shoulder. She was a mess - it was almost like little teenage party girl Charlotte was looking back at her, any remnants of the more adult, mature Charlotte she had worked so hard to be long gone.

She fumbled for her phone in the dark and pulled Drew's texts back up on the screen. _I'm at Gavin and Cole's fraternity. Can you come get me please? I'm sorry._ She pressed 'send'.

Her phone still clenched in her hand, Charlotte fell face down on the bed. Hopefully when she woke up, Drew would be there.

* * *

Hailey stared at her shaking hands as she and Spencer sat at Mike Underwood's little kitchen table. The older man stood in front of the stove with his back to them, and she heard the shrill hiss of a tea kettle boiling. From her side, Spencer reached out and placed his hand on top of hers. "Everything will be okay." He whispered to her. Hailey nodded feebly.

Mike returned then and placed cups of tea down in front of them. "I don't know how you take it," He said, sitting down across from them. "It's two sugars, no milk."

Hailey smiled weakly. "That's fine." She said, taking a sip and nearly burning her tongue.

"So," Spencer said, breaking the ensuing silence. "About why we came here…"

Mike's expression turned serious. He placed down his cup and folded his hands. "I was in the military in 1997 – Iraq, enforcing the no-fly zones. When my deployment ended, your mother had already given birth to you."

Hailey raised an eyebrow at him. "And when you found out you'd gotten her pregnant, you agreed to marry her?"

Mike frowned and shook his head. "Hailey, I'm sorry...but I'm not your father."

Hailey glanced at Spencer, who looked as defeated as she felt. She turned back to Mike. "But...why? Why would you marry my mother, and let me go all those years thinking you were my father...when you weren't?"

"It was…" Mike sighed. "Complicated. I'd known Olivia all my life – I'd been in love with her for as long as I could remember, but she never thought about me that way. I joined the army thinking it would help me get over her. February of '97, I was on leave when I ran into Olivia in Boston."

"Boston?" Spencer said confusedly. He looked to Hailey. "What was your mother doing in Boston?"

Mike shrugged. "We had dinner, then parted ways – when I saw Olivia again after I came home for good, she'd already had you. She didn't tell me anything about the father but her mother – your grandmother – said that it hadn't been a long relationship. Apparently he was a rebound or something, and he dumped her when she told him she was pregnant – left her high and dry, just like that."

"Did you get a name?" Hailey pressed. "Maybe one that starts with M?"

Mike shook his head. "Olivia never talked about him – ever. Point is, I saw how much she was struggling – trying to raise you on her own. She was just a kid herself, you know? She was only twenty years old and had to raise this baby all alone. So I made her...an offer."

"You said you guys could get married," Spencer filled in. "And you would say that you were Hailey's biological father."

"Exactly," Mike confirmed. "Olivia was hesitant at first, but I knew it would work – we'd seen each other in February, people would buy it. The timeline made sense. I must have proposed to her at least five times – finally she said yes. And I was too blinded by love to realize that she was never gonna love me back. I should've known better – if I had asked under different circumstances, she never would've said yes."

"Wow," Hailey breathed. "I'm sorry…"

"I'm sorry too, kid." Mike said. "I really did care about you. But our marriage fell apart real quick. I found out that Liv, that she uh...was talking to your dad again."

Spencer gave him a look. "They were talking?"

Mike nodded. "She was writing him letters. I found one she was gonna send him - with your picture in it, saying she wanted him to be a part of your life and stuff. I was so mad, I told Olivia it was over between us. She tried to apologize, but I was too pissed to hear her out. I know I should've probably found you and told you the truth a long time ago - I'm sorry for that. I always had a soft spot for you – you looked just like your mom. You still do. And you were always a real sweet baby."

Hailey smiled sadly. "Thank you."

"I hope you find him – your old man." Mike said, taking another sip of his tea. "I'm sorry I don't remember his name or anything…"

"Okay," Hailey said. "One last question: do you know what my mom was doing in Boston?"

"Hell if I know. She said she needed some time for herself – she'd just dropped out of college, and was feeling pretty crappy. I didn't push it any further. One thing I do know though -" Mike held up his mug and leaned back in his chair. "She didn't mention anything about being knocked up. And she sure as Hell didn't look it."

* * *

Louise pushed open the doors to Chamberlain's closet, and Nolan's eyes darted back and forth. "So Chamberlain's suits are going to help us prove he's a murderer?"

"He keeps his safe in here," Louise explained. "I've seen it. It's behind…" She moved some things around, kicked his hamper off to the side, and smiled. "Here." Sure enough, Nolan saw a small, gray safe in her hands.

He smiled. "Do you happen to remember the code?"

Louise shook her head. "I think...it started with 4? Or was it 04…?"

Nolan opened his mouth to speak, when suddenly he heard something - the sound of a key in the lock. "Honestly Brett," He heard Sonya Chamberlain's voice bemoan. "How could you forget your checkbook _again_?"

Louise looked at him, panic in her eyes. "Get in the closet!" He mouthed to her, and when she hesitated he shoved her inside before climbing in himself. Louise cowered in the corner. Nolan closed the closet doors as quietly as he could and backed in beside her, their bodies pressed together. He lifted a finger to his lips. "Don't make a sound." Louise folded her hands and prayed silently.

"I think I left it in the safe…" They heard Brett Chamberlain's voice say, getting closer and closer. Nolan cursed in his mind and pulled himself and a shaking Louise behind one of Chamberlain's Armani suits.

Peeking out from around the sleeve, Nolan watched as the closet doors opened and Brett Chamberlain stuck his head inside. A perplexed look came across his face when he saw his safe had been moved. "Sonya!" He called out to his wife. "Did you touch the safe?"

"I don't know, Brett!" Sonya's annoyed voice shouted back. "Be responsible for your own things, why don't you? Now hurry up, we're going to be late and we need to make this donation to repair your image!"

Chamberlain gave an irritated eye roll and punched in the code to his safe. He grabbed his checkbook out of it, then slammed the door. "I'm coming, I'm coming." He said, and Nolan watched as the closet doors were closed again.

Nolan stood there for a moment longer, Louise in his arms with her face buried into the side of his neck, listening as the Chamberlains' voices got farther and farther away, until finally he couldn't hear them at all. "Okay," He whispered. "Okay, let's go."

Louise looked up, still appearing frightened. "Maybe you were right." She said. "This was a bad idea. Let's just go back to the beach club…"

"They're not going to be back for a while," Nolan insisted, stepping out of the closet again. "And besides – now we have the combination for his safe."

He knelt down in front of it while Louise slowly stepped out of the closet, her arms crossed over her chest. "Dear Lord, I feel like I've been rode hard and hung up to dry."

Nolan wasn't listening though, instead focusing on pressing the same buttons he'd seen Brett Chamberlain punch moments before. He heard a satisfying click and grinned as the safe opened. "Jackpot."

Louise leaned over to look as Nolan rummaged through. "Anything? A gun, maybe? Or a paper trail?"

He shook his head. "Money, jewelry, that's about it…" He pushed a strand of expensive looking pearls aside, about ready to give up, when he saw something interesting. "Wait, I found something."

He stood up and saw Louise was looking at him expectantly. "Well?" She asked, and Nolan opened his hand. She looked at the small white rectangle in his palm and frowned. "That's it?"

"It's a flash drive," Nolan said. He handed it to her and pulled his laptop out of his briefcase. "Now let's see what's on it."

Careful to keep everything where it was - they wouldn't make that mistake again - Nolan and Louise placed his laptop on top of the coffee table. He stuck the flash drive in, and what he saw on it made him recoil in surprise. "What is it?" Louise asked worriedly.

"This isn't Brett Chamberlain's flash drive," Nolan explained, searching through the files. "This is Lucas Barlow's."

Louise randomly thought about the nightmare she'd had, how Lucas Barlow's ghost had handed her something. Maybe this was the evidence she'd been hoping for. She peered over Nolan's shoulder so she could look at the drive too. "AF? LW? EM?" She said, reading aloud the names of some of the many folders on the flash drive. "What does any of that even mean?"

Nolan paused mid-scroll when he came across a folder labelled "BC". "They're initials," He said, looking at Louise. "BC for Brett Chamberlain, perhaps?"

He clicked on the folder and inside found several other files - all of them didn't have titles, just dates. Nolan clicked on the first one. "Screenshots…"

It became evident to them quickly that these were email correspondences - all of them between Lucas and someone else, clearly Chamberlain. Nolan flipped through screenshots, but all of them were in codes - any people, places, or any kind of identifying objects were referred to by initials or other nicknames. "Wait, look at that one!" Louise said suddenly, pointing to a screenshot dated 8/1/16 - the day of the bombing.

 _Leaving the office at 6:30._ Chamberlain had written. _We're set to go at 7:05. Will retrieve O. Keep your phone on in case there's a problem._

"The bomb went off at 7:05..." Louise said.

"And when he says O, he obviously means Olivia." Nolan filled in. He flipped to the most recent screenshot - it was dated the day of Lucas's death. He looked to Louise. "I think they're talking about you."

 _She's still alive._ Lucas had written. _I gave her a scare, she should leave us alone - she won't say anything. We don't have to kill her._

 _You know your mission._ Chamberlain responded. _Don't you know there will be consequences if you don't complete it? If you don't do what you were told?_

 _How do you live with yourself?_ Lucas had written back. _With all these lives you've ruined?_ And that was the last of it.

Nolan looked at Louise, a wicked smile on his face. "We are so going to win this appeal."

* * *

At the Alpha Tau Omega house, cars filled the driveway, the front lawn, and the street, the thud of the bass audible from down the block where Drew was forced to park his car. He raced up to the fraternity house, the music getting louder the closer he got, and pushed his way inside. From the moment he stepped inside, he was surrounded by people, drinking and gyrating to the music. He recoiled instinctively as strong smelling smoke filled his nostrils, but pressed on - he had to find Charlotte. She needed him.

He grabbed a random girl who was shaking her body up against two guys, turning her around to face him. "Have you seen Charlotte Clarke?" He asked, practically having to yell in order to be heard over the music.

The girl only shrugged. "I think she went into the bedroom," She said nonchalantly, before going back to her provocative dancing.

"Shit," Drew muttered under his breath. He continued to make his way through the throng of people - in the living room, girls were doing keg stands while drunken frat boys chanted "Chug, chug, chug!". Stoners were passing around joints, and Drew saw a couple half-covered in a blanket that he was pretty sure they were having sex under at that very moment. He called out Charlotte's name, his voice faint in comparison to the blasting rap, and walked down the hallway to the bedrooms.

It was a little quieter back there, but not much. Two girls brushed past Drew on their way back from the bathroom, laughing giddily and holding hands. "Charlotte?" He called - again, no response. Drew stood in place for a moment, pondering his next move, when he heard something which sounded like male laughter - coming from behind one of the bedroom doors.

He walked over and pushed it open forcefully. He saw Gavin and Cole first - the two boys hunched together on one of the twin beds as they shared a line of coke. He looked over to the other bed, and that's where he saw Charlotte - curled up in a ball, her hair plastered to her face, completely out cold. "What the-?" Gavin started to say, but he was cut off when he found himself being pulled up by his shirt.

Gavin landed on the floor with a thud, whacking his head against the nightstand. "The Hell!" He snapped, touching his forehead to find it bleeding. Before Cole could do anything he was yanked up and slammed against the wall, Drew's hand pressed against his throat.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you right now, huh?" He yelled.

"Dude," Cole murmured, gasping for air. "You're...you're choking me…"

"Good!" Drew pressed his elbow against Cole's neck and the other boy struggled to breathe. Just as his face started to change colors, Drew let go, causing Cole to collapse into a pile on the floor, coughing as air finally filled his lungs.

The two boys both incapacitated now - one bleeding, the other gasping - Drew raced over to Charlotte's side. "Charlotte?" He said to her frantically, pulling his phone out of his pocket. "Charlotte?" She didn't answer, or even acknowledge that she'd heard him - she was unconscious. He lifted up one of her eyelids and saw that her eyes had rolled into the back of her head. "Goddamnit." He looked to the other boys. "Aren't you going to do something?" They said nothing, didn't even look at him, and he shook his head as he dialed three numbers on his phone.

The phone rang for a few seconds, but to Drew the wait was still far too long. "Yes, 911?" He said once someone finally answered.

"The cops?" Gavin thundered. "You're calling the cops?" Drew shot him a dirty look.

"Yes, I'm at NYU's Alpha Tau Omega house," Drew told the 911 dispatcher, holding his phone between his ear and his shoulder so he could feel for Charlotte's pulse - her skin was burning hot. "There's a 22 year old female - my...my girlfriend. She's unconscious, I...I think she's overdosed."

"Okay sir," The dispatcher said calmly. "Do you know what she took?"

Drew looked to Gavin and Cole. "What did she take?" He demanded, but the two just exchanged a look and said nothing. Drew lunged for Cole and he shrunk back in terror, finally giving in.

"Cocaine and ecstasy, okay?" He admitted, his hands clutching his throat. "And she was drinking - someone had oxy, but I don't know if she took any…"

 _We never think it will happen to us._

Drew repeated this information to the 911 operator, who promised that an ambulance would be there in a few minutes. Drew thanked her, before hanging up the phone and turning all his attention to Charlotte - whose pulse he still couldn't find. "Come on Char, stay with me please." In one fell swoop he lifted her up, and her head only lolled - she was like a limp doll in his arms.

As Drew made his way to the bathroom, Cole limped to stick his head out the door. "Cops are coming!" He screamed, and the chaos immediately begun. People started to yell, the music was shut off, and beer cups flew everywhere as underage, intoxicated kids began to race for the exit.

Once in the bathroom, Drew threw Charlotte over his shoulder so he could turn on the shower. Cold water began to pour out of the showerhead and he climbed in the tub, Charlotte in his lap, and stuck her under the spray. "Come on Charlotte, wake up please." He practically begged. He didn't even notice Gavin and Cole appear in the doorway, watching them silently with pissed expressions. They still made no effort to help. "Charlotte, come on!"

 _Our deepest fears._

A few moments later he felt her squirm, weakly lifting her head up as she began to sputter and then breathe. Drew breathed a sigh of relief as Charlotte's eyes flew open, coughing as the water continued to pour down on her. "Oh my God," Drew breathed, pressing his lips to her temple. "Oh thank God…"

The paramedics raced in shortly thereafter, shoving Gavin and Cole to the side to get to Charlotte. They immediately began to pepper her with questions, while Charlotte could only stare at them in a daze. She looked to Drew. "What...what happened?"

 _Our worst nightmares._

A paramedic turned the shower off, stopping the water flow. Drew only pushed Charlotte's hair out of her face and kissed her forehead once more. "You're safe now," He whispered to her. "I promise, you're safe…"

* * *

After they'd finished their tea, Hailey and Spencer both said goodbye to Mike and then made their exit. They walked back to Spencer's Jeep in silence, Spencer slipping into the driver's side and Hailey in the passenger seat.

 _But sometimes we are faced with unexpected circumstances._

Spencer looked at Hailey, who hadn't spoken a word since they left Mike's. "Are you disappointed?" He asked gently.

Hailey shook her head. "I just…I was really hoping it was him."

Spencer nodded in understanding. "I know, it really sucks…"

She looked up at him, meeting his eyes. "All those things Mike said, about my father being some fling who left…"

"Hailey, you don't know if that's true-"

"But what if it _is_?" Hailey's lower lip quivered. "All these years, and he's never tried to find me…What if he doesn't want me? What if he _never_ wanted me?"

Spencer leaned over and cupped Hailey's cheek. "Then he's an idiot, okay? Hailey, you are beautiful, and strong, and intelligent, and brave – and if your father can't see that, then screw him. You don't need him."

Hailey smiled at him, tears filling her eyes. "You really think so?"

He smiled too. "I know so."

They sat there for a moment, both of them looking into the other's eyes, and neither of them said anything. Hailey looked down and realized that at some point they'd intertwined their fingers again – how long had they been doing that? She looked at Spencer, his face inches away from hers.

Neither of them knew exactly who leaned in first – maybe they both had. But the point was that it happened. They kissed.

Their lips locked quickly, Spencer's one hand still on Hailey's face and the other wrapped in hers. A few beats passed, their lips connected in a strong kiss, before finally they both pulled away, gasping. They just stared at each other for a second, both of them wide-eyed, before Hailey recoiled. Spencer quickly dropped his hand from her face and he pulled his other one away, their fingers separating.

 _Things don't always work out the way we want them to._

Neither of them said anything, each still catching their breath and comprehending the fact that they just did _that_. "Umm…" Hailey said, at a loss for words.

Spencer turned back around in the driver's seat, mouth agape, and scratched the back of his neck. "Are you hungry?" He blurted out, to fill the awkward silence. "We should get some food. How do you feel about breakfast for dinner? I think I saw a diner not too far away…"

Hailey sat back in her seat, staring straight ahead, not looking at Spencer. "Breakfast for dinner sounds good."

Spencer nodded and put the car in gear. "Yup."

It was going to be a long drive back to Southampton…

* * *

 **February 15, 2017 12:08 a.m.**

 **Southampton, New York**

"This is Spencer's phone! You know what to do!" _Beep._

Hailey sighed as she got Spencer's answering machine yet again. "Spencer," She said. "It's been hours and you haven't answered any of my calls. Is everything alright? I'm starting to worry that you're lying in a ditch somewhere. Please just call me –" She was cut off by a beep and an automated voice informing her that Spencer's voicemail box was full. She shut her phone off in defeat. It was almost like Spencer had fallen off the face of the Earth…

 _We never think it will happen to us…_

* * *

 **Four Hours Earlier…**

The van screeched to a sudden halt as it reached the end of the alley. Behind them the neon lights were flashing from the shady gentlemen's club next door, and there was the sounds of drunken laughter from patrons and dancers alike as they stumbled out. But back in the alley it was dark and no one was around but the trash cans, and the rats who inhabited the foreclosed bar on their other side. The nervous driver threw open the van's back doors and grabbed their load, dragging it out and dropping it unceremoniously on the ground. Then, just as quickly as they'd arrived, they got back into their car and sped off the way they came.

Spencer's eyes opened slowly and he glanced around weakly, trying to comprehend where he was. He wanted to get up, but he physically just couldn't. He touched his abdomen, his hand coming into contact with sticky, hot blood. It wasn't bleeding as much anymore but he was still in pain – so much pain. He could feel the hole where the bullet had pierced his flesh, and it was painful to the touch. His breathing was becoming more shallow, and his head was spinning – was he going into shock? How long had he been lying there?

As his eyes fluttered shut, all Spencer could think was that he was going to die.

 _Until it does._


	4. Justice Denied

**A/N** : Guys, I'm so sad. I have to go back to school tomorrow. Review this chapter and make me feel better.

The next chapter after this one is going to be really, REALLY long (it's almost 10,000 words, yikes) and jam-packed with stuff, so I have some teasers at the end of this chapter for you. Enjoy.

 **Disclaimer** : I'm just a fan who has to go back to high school tomorrow and seeks comfort in fanfiction.

* * *

 **February 15, 2017 12:15 a.m.**

 **Southampton, New York**

 _As Americans, we are taught that justice will always prevail._

Olivia pushed open the front door to Ellis Manor and shivered as she stepped out into the wintry night. "Nolan!" She screamed out into the darkness, only to receive no answer. She sighed, and it was so cold she saw her breath billow out in front of her. She turned around to go back inside when she was suddenly caught off guard and let out a scream.

"Oh my God!" Olivia gasped, placing her hand over her heart. "Nolan, what the Hell? You can't just scare me like that!"

In front of her, Nolan stood still, having appeared out of the darkness at some point while her back was turned. He didn't say anything, just stared at her blankly, blue eyes haunted.

"Please," Olivia begged. "Just let me explain -" She reached out to touch his arm but he yanked it away, like he'd been burned.

 _We're lucky, they say._

"Why should I listen to anything you have to say?" Nolan asked. "When I decided to represent you, you were supposed to be 100% transparent with me. After everything I've done to get your conviction overturned...you couldn't tell me the truth?"

"You wouldn't have understood!" Olivia objected. "Don't you see? You hate me! This is what I wanted to prevent!" She hesitated. "I want you to know, I'm still the same person I was before…"

Nolan shook his head and stepped back, his arms crossed over his chest. "You're not. You're a liar, Olivia. A liar, and a thief."

 _People get what's coming to them here._

Olivia's eyes stung with tears at his statement and she reached up to wipe them away. "Please, Nolan. You know how I feel about you...how I've always felt about you…"

"But you didn't think that I deserved the truth?" He objected. "Do you realize how much that hurts, Olivia?"

"Are you honestly telling me that you would've still supported me had you known? I...I didn't know how to tell you!"

 _But do they really?_

They were cut off by the sound of the front door opening again. "Hey!" Hailey called, sticking her head outside. "The cops need you guys back in here!"

"We'll be right there." Nolan told her, and Hailey nodded and went back inside.

Nolan turned to Olivia now, who was staring at the frosty ground with a lone tear streaming down her cheek. "After everything I did for you," Nolan whispered. "I deserved the truth. And Hailey deserves it too." Then he turned and headed back for the house, leaving Olivia with only her regrets…

* * *

 **November 7, 2016 9:30 a.m.**

 **Southampton, New York**

"Look, I don't need a babysitter!"

As she paced around her kitchen, rolling up the sleeves of her blazer, Amanda shot Charlotte a look. The younger girl was sitting on Amanda and Jack's living room couch, her legs pulled up to her chest, practically pouting. "Really?" Amanda said to her sister. "Because the four year old is acting more mature than you." She nodded to Carl, who was sitting on the floor playing with Drew, completely oblivious to his stepmother and aunt's argument. Drew focused on watching Carl play with his boats, even though it was his presence that they were fighting about. After finding out about her overdose, Amanda and Jack had insisted that Charlotte stay with them for awhile - and when Drew had shown up today to watch her while Amanda and Jack went to court with Nolan, Charlotte had been less than pleased.

"I am an adult," Charlotte said. "Do you honestly think…" She glanced at Carl and lowered her voice to barely above a whisper. "That I'm going to do _drugs_ in front of my nephew?"

Amanda shook her head. "I know you would never intentionally try to hurt Carl, Charlotte. But you're an addict, and I want to make sure that there's no temptation."

"I'm seeing my therapist! I got treatment at the hospital!" Charlotte objected. "I promise, I'm fine!"

Amanda looked at her incredulously. "I'm sorry, Charlotte. We're just trying to help."

"And we'll have so much fun today with your Aunt Charlotte, right little dude?" Drew said to Carl, trying to lighten the mood. He extended his fist to him - having taught the child how to fist bump - and smiled when the little boy placed his knuckles against his. "Alright!"

Jack came down the stairs then, trying to straighten his tie. "You ready to go?" He asked Amanda. "We can't be late."

"Yeah," His wife confirmed. She walked over to him and fixed the knot in his tie.

Jack looked at Charlotte and smiled sadly at her. "I'm sorry, Charlie. It's for your own good." Charlotte only rolled her eyes discreetly in response.

Amanda sighed and waved goodbye to Carl. "We'll be back later buddy, be good for Drew and Aunt Charlotte!"

"Bye-bye," The little boy said, eliciting smiles from his father and stepmother, who then left the house.

Once they were gone, Charlotte rose from the couch. "His babysitter will be here in five minutes," She said to Drew. "You can go now."

"Excuse me?" Drew said, watching as Charlotte grabbed her coat and shrugged it onto her shoulders. "Did you not hear what they just said?"

"Amanda and Jack aren't my parents," Charlotte said matter-of-factly. "And I'm not a prisoner."

Drew stood up. "Are you going to buy drugs?" He asked, and Charlotte scoffed.

"Hell no."

She looked at her phone to check the time, and Drew walked over and grabbed her arm gently. "Charlotte, please don't do this. We're only doing this because we care about you."

Charlotte was silent for a moment. "Look, I'm not leaving because I want to. I didn't want Amanda and Jack to know this but…there's somewhere I have to be today."

Drew looked at her curiously. "Where?"

* * *

 **United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit**

 **New York, New York**

With his team close behind, Nolan pushed open the back door to the federal courthouse where they had agreed to hear Olivia's appeal. Outside the front entrance, paparazzo had camped out with their cameras, hoping for a photo op. He visibly relaxed when he saw the woman in the suit standing in the lobby, looking at messages on her Blackberry. "Stevie!" Nolan called out, causing her to look up at the sound of her name.

"Nice to see you again, Nolan," She said, walking over to greet her son and daughter-in-law's friend, before hugging both Jack and Amanda. "I wish we were meeting under different circumstances."

"You remember Louise, Hailey and Spencer right?" Jack asked, gesturing to the others. Louise smiled brightly from where she stood hanging back, holding onto Nolan's briefcase. Hailey gave a tentative smile, Spencer standing next to her. Stevie nodded in confirmation. "Yes - lovely to see you all again. But where is your sister, Amanda? And that other boy - from Columbia, wasn't it?"

"Umm," Amanda said nervously. "Charlotte and Drew...had an urgent matter to attend to."

Stevie shrugged. "Well regardless, from what Nolan sent me I think we'll be able to get a retrial. There are clear holes in the original jury's verdict, and I think the judges will see that…"

"Well you seemed pretty confident the first time too, didn't you Steph?"

The group all turned around, seeing an awfully cocky looking Richard McKenzie approaching them, his hands in his pockets. Hailey's eyes narrowed when she saw the Chamberlains at his heels, like two guard dogs waiting for the command to go in for the kill.

Stevie smirked and stepped forward. "We're going to wipe the floor with you today Richard, just like I did back in law school - you know, when it was our finals and you choked mid-oral argument? That was pretty embarrassing, wasn't it?"

McKenzie laughed hollowly. "It's been a long time since Stanford, Stevie. I'm a well-respected federal prosecutor now - and well, let's just say I've never had my license revoked." He made a motion with his hand, similar to chugging from a bottle, and behind him Sonya Chamberlain looked like she might snicker.

"Hey," Jack snapped. "Don't talk to her like that!"

"It's okay, Jack." Stevie interjected, her eyes still trained firmly on McKenzie's smug face. "Richie's never been one to play by the rules…"

"So, where is Olivia today?" Brett Chamberlain asked, stepping forward with a look of faux-sweetness on his face. "I wanted to wish her luck before the appeal started."

"Like Hell you do," Louise spat bitterly. She stepped forward, getting up in his face, and Nolan grabbed her by the arm. "How do you live with yourself - with all these lives you've ruined?" Nolan yanked her back, but Chamberlain's face went ghastly white when Louise repeated Barlow's words.

"Come on, Brett." Sonya said to him, taking his hand. "We don't need this." She walked her husband into the courtroom, following McKenzie's lead, but Chamberlain's eyes remained trained ahead, staring at nothing.

Nolan rolled his eyes, still holding onto Louise's arm. "Come on, let's go." He said, starting to walk forward. "The appeal's about to start."

All he could think was that it would be oh so satisfying to destroy those people in court...

* * *

"Are you going to tell me what's going on?"

Charlotte shushed Drew as they walked down the hallway of the NYU administration building. She seemed nervous – he could see it written all over her face – but she hadn't told him any details about what they were doing that was so urgent. It was eerily quiet inside, so all he could hear was the sound of her heels clacking against the floor as they walked.

They finally reached the end of the hallway and stopped in front of a big, wooden door. The nameplate boasted _President's Office_. Charlotte sighed. "I have a disciplinary hearing."

The door opened and there stood an older man - his gray hair was thinning on top of his head and his beady eyes were hidden behind a pair of round spectacles. This was President Harris.

"Miss Clarke," He said, looking from her to Drew. "I see you brought a friend."

Resisting the urge to scoff at the condescension already evident in the man's voice, Drew turned to Charlotte. "I'll wait right here." He said, and Charlotte gave him a hesitant half-smile before following President Harris into his office.

The door closed behind them, and Charlotte froze as soon as she stepped inside. From their seats in front of President Harris's desk, Gavin and Cole looked over their shoulders to smile at her. "Hey, Charlie." Gavin said cheekily. Charlotte saw he had a faint trace of a black eye, and she knew Drew must've given it to him when he threw him on the ground. "Good to see you are looking so much better than the last time we saw you."

Looking at their smug faces, Charlotte was practically boiling with rage. The two of them had loaded her up with drugs and then left her there to die. When she'd needed someone to help her, they hadn't done a damn thing. Without thinking she took a step forward, intending to lunge for them, but then she felt a hand on her arm pulling her back. "Sit down, Miss Clarke!" President Harris ordered. "This behavior is unacceptable!" Shooting one last scowl at Gavin and Cole, Charlotte did as she was told.

President Harris sat down behind his desk, his glasses falling further down his nose. "We're here today to discuss an incident which occurred at the Alpha Tau Omega house on October 25th of this year. Miss Clarke, I understand that paramedics had to be called for you, is that correct?"

Charlotte gulped. "Correct."

"And what drugs were you taking at this time?"

She looked at Gavin and Cole out of the corner of her eye. "Cocaine, alcohol, and ecstasy."

President Harris stared at her for a moment with a look of disapproval. "And Miss Clarke, where did you get these substances?" She nodded towards Gavin and Cole in response. "Mr. McIntyre, Mr. Livingston, is that true?"

"President Harris," Cole said with a smile. "It's true that we were with Charlotte at the party - but we don't know where she got the drugs from. Someone else at the party must've brought them - or Charlotte got them herself."

"Is it true that you both blew a 0.08% when the police issued breathalyser tests on both of you later that evening?"

"We _were_ drinking, President Harris." Gavin said. "But Cole and I are both twenty-one, so it was perfectly legal. And we weren't going to drive - that's why the ambulance had to be called for Charlotte. We couldn't take her to the hospital ourselves when we were both intoxicated. We were trying to be responsible, but her pit bull of an ex-boyfriend got the wrong idea." He pointed to his face. "He knocked both of us around, surely that's not our fault right?"

Cole raised an eyebrow. "So, are we free to go now President Harris?"

The president looked from one boy to the other in silence for a moment. Charlotte stared at him, waiting for his response. "...Yes, Mr. Livingston, you both may leave now."

"What?" Charlotte gasped. "You're kidding me! They - they gave me drugs! And when I overdosed, they left me there to _die_!"

"Miss Clarke, Mr. McIntyre and Mr. Livingston are both well-respected members of our senior class. They maintain A-averages, and both their families have been extremely generous donors to this university. Their records speak for themselves. You, Miss Clarke…" He trailed off.

"So what if I've messed up a few times?" Charlotte insisted. "I fully admit that I have! But that doesn't mean that my life doesn't matter. Please, _please_ don't let them get away with this!"

President Harris's eyes flitted from Gavin to Cole, who were standing in the doorway waiting to be dismissed. He said nothing.

Gavin waved at Charlotte. "Good luck, Char - you're going to need it."

* * *

Meanwhile, Olivia was already at the front of the courtroom as Nolan and his team entered. He shot her what was meant to be a reassuring half smile, while Stevie took her place by Olivia's side and the rest of them slipped into available seats. Across the courtroom, Sonya Chamberlain looked smug, while her husband still seemed anxious.

At the front of the courtroom was the panel - the head judge, an elderly man, flanked on his sides by a male and female judge. "Court is now in session," said the head judge, whose nameplate said his name was Judge Huber. "This is an appeal by the defense to overturn the conviction of Ms. Olivia Anderson, on the charges of money laundering, terrorism, and treason. Ms. Grayson, by all means, begin."

"Your Honors," Stevie said, rising to her feet, her hands clasped in front of her. "I know you all believe in the American justice system - I do. But this is a case where justice was not served. My client is an upstanding citizen, who is innocent of the charges brought against her. We'd like to petition the court for a retrial, to introduce new evidence which proves without a doubt that my client is an innocent victim in an elaborate web of lies and deceit -"

McKenzie scoffed. "Ms. Grayson is simply sharing a crazy conspiracy theory -"

"Mr. McKenzie," said Judge Huber. "Please. But he is right Ms. Grayson - you are not testifying here. In order to grant the retrial you are requesting, we need evidence of judicial misconduct."

"Your Honor," Stevie began. "I -"

Suddenly, Olivia stood up forcefully. "We have reason to believe that the jury was tampered with."

"Sit down, Ms. Anderson!" Judge Huber said. "And please, make all your statements through your attorney!" Stevie looked at Olivia, clearly confused, and Olivia nodded. Stevie turned back to the judges.

"Your Honors," She stated. "The defense has a juror who is willing to testify that they were influenced in their decision. If you would allow us to present it as evidence -"

"Ms. Grayson," said Judge Huber. "I am not amused. This is a serious accusation."

"Your Honor," said McKenzie. "The prosecution is frankly offended by these claims that the _federal government_ would set up such a thing -"

"No one said it was you," Olivia interjected, her glare trained on Brett Chamberlain's face.

Hailey leaned over to whisper in Nolan's ear. "What is she doing?" Nolan had no answer for her - he honestly had no idea.

"Judge Huber," The female judge said suddenly - a much younger, Asian woman whose nameplate read Judge Claire Lee, she and her male counterpart had remained silent throughout the whole ordeal. "I believe that we should take the defense's allegations seriously - if they can bring us a written testimony by tomorrow, then I believe we should consider it."

Silently, Judge Huber looked over to the other judge. He only shrugged in response. "Alright," Judge Huber sighed. "I'll allow it. But just remember that dirty tricks do not go over well in my court, Ms. Grayson - you too, Mr. McKenzie."

Stevie nodded. "Thank you, Your Honor."

"We will reconvene at ten am tomorrow. Court dismissed."

With the bang of his gavel, the court dispersed. McKenzie grabbed his briefcase and walked out sulkily, closely followed by the Chamberlains. Nolan stood up and grabbed Olivia's wrist. "What were you doing back there?" He demanded. "How are we supposed to conjure up a juror's testimony before tomorrow?"

"I still remember Juror #1's face when he read the guilty verdict," Olivia explained, while the prison guard walked over to re-handcuff her. "And if Chamberlain's face was any indication, I think I struck a nerve. Please, trust me on this."

With a sigh, Nolan glanced over at Louise. "Well, I guess we're going to track down Juror #1."

* * *

As Charlotte had her meeting with President Harris, Drew remained outside. He sat down on a nearby bench and waited, anxiously checking his watch every few minutes or so. Only about fifteen minutes into the disciplinary hearing he saw Gavin and Cole walk out, and he scowled involuntarily.

As they walked past Gavin turned to look at him, a wicked smile on his face. "The little bitch won't be so lucky this time," He said.

Inside, Drew was fuming. "That one black eye looks a little lonely." He spat.

"I can kick your ass any day of the week," Gavin insisted, but Cole yanked him backwards.

"He's not worth it, man - let's just go." Though it was clear Gavin was itching for a fight, he listened to him and they both left.

Drew expected Charlotte to come out not longer after that, but she didn't. By his count, it took another thirty minutes for her to re-appear. When the door finally opened, Drew stood up immediately. Charlotte walked out, head down, and he met her halfway, touching her arm. "I saw Gavin and Cole leave - did they get expelled?"

Charlotte looked up, and that's when he saw that she was crying. "No...but I did."

* * *

"Are you sure this is the right place?"

Nolan checked the street number again as he pulled the car up to the curb outside a shabby row home. "This is it," He told Louise affirmatively. "Come on, let's go."

The two of them got out and began to walk up to the front steps, taking in their surroundings. They were clearly in a poorer neighborhood, and the houses had chipping paints and tiny lawns. As they approached the front door, Nolan noticed children's toys scattered around the porch.

The door opened after a few knocks and a Hispanic man appeared, whose face Nolan immediately recognized. He was the one who had read the verdict which doomed Olivia to a life behind bars. "Arturo Rivera?"

The man looked from side to side uneasily, and then rushed to close the door. Nolan stuck his hand out, preventing the door from shutting, and the man's eyes darted back and forth in panic. " _¡Dios, por favor, ayudame!_ " He yelled, and he turned to run away but Louise grabbed him by the back of his shirt.

"We're not here to hurt you!" She insisted. "We just want to talk - about the Olivia Anderson case."

"I did everything you said!" The man begged. "Please, just leave my family alone!"

"We don't know what you're talking about," Nolan told him. "But whoever threatened you, we promise we're not here for them. We want to help you."

The man stared at them for a second, and then finally he sighed. " _De acuerdo_. Please, come in."

Nolan and Louise followed the man - Arturo - inside and glanced around. The place was small and cluttered, and as they walked into the foyer three small children raced past - a boy and two girls. " _¡Ay, Marcos!_ Leave your sisters alone!" Arturo ordered the boy. Once the children had scrambled to their rooms, he waved for Nolan and Louise to join him in the kitchen. "Sit, please. We will have coffee."

The two of them situated themselves at the table, while Arturo fetched them each a cup. "Thank you," Nolan managed to say, trying to hide his surprise at the home's sparse furnishings.

"How did you find me?" Arturo asked as he sat down in the seat across from them.

"Facial recognition software," Nolan explained. "There was security camera footage of you at the courthouse."

"Arturo, who threatened you?" Louise asked. "Was it a man?"

Arturo was silent for a long moment, staring down at the tabletop. "My wife, Teresa, she is...gone. _Como dices_...cancer."

Nolan shook his head. "We're so sorry,"

" _Es la vida_." Arturo said. "But her hospital bills were so much for us - we had to move here. Now, it is just me and the children. I do what I can for them, I work two jobs - I want to give them the best life possible. I am in this country legally you see, so I was called for jury. I…" He trailed off. "I thought that lady - Olivia - was innocent. As a father, I knew how she must be feeling. I thought of my poor children, who shall never know their mother...I wanted to vote not guilty. But then...then this couple approached me."

"Brett and Sonya Chamberlain," Louise filled in.

Arturo nodded. "They did not threaten me exactly. But they knew so much - my children's names. Marcos, Leticia, and Araceli. They knew where they go to school. They told me I should vote guilty. I was scared so...I did. I am so sorry." His shoulders heaved, and Nolan realized he was crying.

"Arturo," He said. "You can make things right. Can you write a letter to the judge telling him about how you were threatened into giving the guilty verdict?"

Arturo nodded vigorously. " _Sí, sí._ Anything to help."

He grabbed some paper and wrote out the message, detailing everything which he had just told Nolan and Louise, and finally signed it at the bottom. "Thank you so much, Arturo." Louise told him once he had finished.

"Again, I am so sorry," Arturo told them. "Please tell your friend that she is in my prayers."

"We'll do that." Nolan assured him. The two of them turned to go, Arturo's written testimony in Louise's hand, but halfway to the door Nolan froze and looked back over his shoulder at Arturo, sitting alone in that ratty kitchen with his eyes averted. He immediately reached for his checkbook and wrote down a generous sum. "This is for you."

Arturo's eyes went wide as Nolan handed him the check. "Oh no, I could not…"

"Take it," Nolan insisted. "For your children, please."

With tears welled in his eyes, Arturo took the check from Nolan's hand. " _¡Es muy generoso, Señor!_ God bless you, and your friend too!"

* * *

Drew pulled his car up outside Amanda and Jack's house, and put it in park. In the passenger side Charlotte had quit crying, wiping her smudged mascara out from under her eyes. He shook his head. "I'm so sorry, Charlotte…"

"It's not your fault, Drew." Charlotte insisted. "I did those things. The only person to blame here is me."

"Is there anything we can do? Maybe we can appeal the decision…"

Charlotte shook her head. "Don't bother, Drew. What's done is done. Now I just have to live with it. God, I don't know how I'm going to tell Amanda and Jack, or Hailey…"

Drew looked at the ground. "Maybe if I had driven you to the hospital myself…"

He was startled when he felt Charlotte's hand on top of his. "You did the right thing. I wouldn't have made it to the hospital otherwise. You saved my life. If it weren't for you...I'd probably be dead right now."

They sat there in silence for a moment, the tension thick in the air. Looking at her eyes, shimmery with tears, Drew felt a sudden urge to kiss her - but he held back. As much as he wanted to, he knew the moment wasn't right.

Finally, Charlotte pulled her hand away and reached for the handle on the door. "Thanks for the ride," She said, and Drew could only force a curt nod as she got out and walked up to the house.

* * *

" - and chicken fried rice for the lady."

Hailey looked up from her laptop as Spencer laid out the assorted Chinese food containers on Nolan's kitchen table. "Thanks," She said, pushing her computer aside so they could eat. "I'm starving."

Spencer pulled out the chair next to her, and Hailey couldn't help but giggle to herself as she watched him fumble with the chopsticks as he tried to pick up a shrimp. Accepting defeat, Spencer finally relented and grabbed a fork. "So," He said, now able to get food to his mouth in one piece. "What were you doing so intently when I came in?"

Hailey swallowed. "I'm trying to find my birth records," She explained. "My mother said to me once that she changed my last name - but Mike said that I was already born when he came into the picture, meaning it would make no sense for her to have given me his last name. This is my last chance to possibly find my father."

Spencer nodded, and then paused. "You have some rice right there." Before Hailey could ask where it was, he leaned over and touched her mouth with his thumb, to wipe away the grain of rice that had gotten stuck in her lip gloss. Their eyes met, his touch lingering on her face, until Spencer abruptly pulled away. "Uh...got it. Sorry."

They ate in silence for a moment, the only sound the scraping of their utensils against the takeout containers. With a sigh, Hailey dropped her chopsticks. "Spence, about that kiss…"

Spencer glanced up, looking like a deer caught in headlights. "What about it?"

Hailey felt her cheeks flush. This was so awkward, hence why she'd avoided talking about it until now. "How do you...how do you feel about that?"

Spencer looked away, visibly embarrassed. "I uh...I don't know."

They stared at each other, neither knowing what to say, both of them feeling extremely uncomfortable. "Why don't we um," Hailey began. "Why don't we just...forget about it? Go back to the way things were before...okay?"

Spencer shook his head and picked up his fork. "Right," He said, looking down at his food. "Of course."

Hailey nodded and shoved a piece of chicken into her mouth so she wouldn't have to speak.

* * *

At court the next morning, Nolan, Louise, Hailey and Spencer waited with baited breath as they watched the panel of judges read over Arturo's testimony. Judge Huber's eyes flitted back and forth constantly, looking like he was reading it over and over. Nolan clenched the bench so hard that his knuckles turned white. Louise gently pried his fingers open so she could hold his hand.

After the judges whispered to each other for a few moments, Judge Huber finally dropped the letter down with a sigh. "Please rise, Ms. Anderson." Olivia did as she was told, getting to her feet immediately. Stevie and McKenzie did the same. "After reading this testimony, we have decided that there _is_ a strong possibility that this case was not fairly tried. Because of that, Ms. Anderson's case will be retried in a lower court, immediately. Case dismissed." As he banged his gavel, Olivia couldn't conceal her smile - thank God. Not missing a beat, Hailey rushed over and threw her arms around her mother's neck. This was easily the happiest moment she'd had since she had been arrested.

Nolan breathed a sigh of relief, while Louise squealed and grabbed his arm. "Great job, hun."

Nolan glanced over his shoulder - just in time to see McKenzie and the Chamberlains stomp out of the courtroom. As they stopped in the doorway, McKenzie was talking heatedly, gesturing wildly. Sonya looked pissed - it was clear they were having an argument.

"Hmm," Louise said, having noticed what Nolan was looking at. "I wonder what they're carrying on about…"

Waving her off, Nolan turned back around. "Whatever it is, it doesn't matter. They probably just realized that they've already lost."

* * *

 **February 15, 2017 12:33 a.m.**

 _Humans feel a compulsive need for justice._

The police's questioning continued into the early hours of the morning. As the gang sat around Louise's living room, they found themselves continuously bombarded with an endless stream of questions.

"Can someone verify your whereabouts at that hour?"

"Are any firearms registered in your name?"

"Do you know of anyone who might have had a motive to murder the victim?"

 _To make sure that those who commit heinous acts are thoroughly punished for their crimes._

Finally, Nolan stood up forcefully. "Officers," He said, causing the two cops to look at him pointedly. "We have answered every question you have asked us and established our whereabouts at the time of the crime multiple times. If you are not charging us with anything, we'd like to invoke our rights and remain silent from now on."

The two cops looked at each other and then around the room. Amanda and Jack were huddled together on the couch, his arm around her shoulder. Charlotte stood in the corner, looking panicked and jittery, bags under her mascara rimmed eyes. Hailey was half-asleep with her head having fallen on Drew's shoulder, much to his poorly concealed displeasure, while Olivia stood by the window, looking outside with a haunted look on her face as it began to lightly drizzle in the black night. Louise had already dismissed herself for the evening, and there was still no sign of Spencer. Then there was Nolan, looking at them and clearly waiting for them to leave.

 _But sometimes justice is not served._

"Alright," The first cop gave in, he and his buddy rising from their seats. "Thank you for your time everyone, and have a good night." The group only grumbled incoherent 'goodnights' in response.

"I'll walk you out," Nolan said, lightly concealed acidity in his tone. He held the door open for the cops, all too eager for them to finally leave. "Have a good rest of your night, officers."

The two policemen started to walk out, but one of them hesitated on the stoop and looked back over his shoulder. "Don't take this the wrong way, Mr. Ross." He said, the darkness casting a shadow over half his face. "But someone did kill Richard McKenzie. And we will find out who."

* * *

 _And when that happens..._

At that same moment, in a very different part of Long Island, the back door to The Playhouse Adult Entertainment opened as two women stepped out into the alley.

"God," The first one said. "I'm so sick of this job. Hit me."

Her friend lit her Marlboro. "Just gotta save enough money to pay off our loans and then we're outta here, T. We'll open our own company, just you and me and none of these meatheads." The first girl took a drag from her cigarette, but then she froze, her eyes trained on something ahead of them. "T? Girl, you okay?"

Suddenly, the first girl gasped and dropped her cigarette on the ground. "Oh my God! Oh my God, is that a person?"

 _That's when someone else takes justice into their own hands._

As the two dancers raced over to him, Spencer drifted in and out of consciousness. The first girl was sobbing by this point at the sight of the bleeding stranger on the ground, gasping "Oh my God" over and over, while her friend knelt down and pulled out her cell phone. "Yes, 911?" She was saying. "There's a man here, I think he's been shot…" She placed her hand over the receiver and looked at Spencer. "Sir, can you tell me what happened to you?" But Spencer didn't have the strength to answer her, his eyes shutting.

 _And the danger begins._

Before unconsciousness overtook him again, the last thing he thought of was her face…

* * *

 **A/N (again)** : Here is what you can expect in the next chapter, entitled "Case Closed". Last chance to get your guesses and theories in!

* The story will catch up to the present, meaning no more flash-forwards for the rest of this story.

* You'll find out who shot Spencer, what Nolan found out about Olivia, the secret Amanda and Jack are keeping from Nolan, and the identity of Hailey's biological father.

* Three characters will team up for a good old fashioned takedown - red Sharpie included.

* A character from _Revenge_ will return to wreak havoc. This character is one that personally I've always enjoyed and who has a history of being a thorn in our heroes' sides. It is also someone whom they thought they'd never see again.


	5. Case Closed

**A/N** : Hello all, and welcome to the longest chapter I've ever written for this series to date. This is my equivalent of a mid-season finale, however I'm not planning to take a hiatus like I did last time - I'm having too much fun. Please review if you like it because while I can see the number of people who are reading, I don't know if you actually enjoyed it unless you tell me so.

 **Disclaimer** : I do not own the amazing TV show _Revenge_.

* * *

 **February 15, 2017 12:36 a.m.**

 **Southampton, New York**

 _In life, there are rarely open and shut cases._

Still internally fuming from the officer's thinly veiled threat, Nolan shut the front door to Ellis Manor. It was a shame that McKenzie was dead, but none of them had anything to do with it – he'd had enough of cops accusing him of things for one lifetime. Before he could return to the living room however, his phone began to ring urgently in his pocket.

Nolan pulled it out and frowned when he saw an unfamiliar caller ID – but it had a Southampton area code, so he answered. "Hello?"

 _There are multiple layers to every story._

"Yes," said the voice of a woman that he could not recognize. "Is this Nolan Ross?"

"Speaking," Nolan told her. "Can I help you with something?"

"This is Suffolk County Memorial Hospital. Mr. Ross, we have you listed as the emergency contact for Spencer Presley…"

His heart sank. "Spencer?"

As the woman filled Nolan in on the situation with Spencer, Olivia stepped out into the hallway, wondering what was going on. "Everything okay?" She asked tentatively, but Nolan immediately shushed her.

 _Multiple sides to every person._

"Okay," He said, trying to hide the rising panic in his voice. "I'm on my way. Thank you." His hand trembled as he ended the call.

Olivia took a step forward. "Nolan, what's going on?"

He looked visibly upset. "That was the hospital...Spencer was shot tonight."

Olivia's eyes widened in shock and surprise. "Oh my God, is he okay?"

"I…" Nolan stuttered. "I don't know. We need to get to the hospital…" He moved to head back towards the living room, intent on giving the rest of their group the bad news, when suddenly Olivia's hand on his arm stopped him. He turned around, finding her looking at him with panic in her eyes.

"Nolan, please," Olivia said. "Please, _please_ don't say anything to Hailey."

Nolan looked at her incredulously, and yanked his arm away. "And why would I do that?"

 _There is never simply black and white, right or wrong._

"You know how close she and Spencer are," Olivia explained. She shot a wary glance into the living room, making sure Hailey wasn't listening to them, before continuing. "When she hears what happened, she will freak out Nolan. I…I don't want to have to see her go through that kind of pain. We shouldn't tell her – not until we know if Spencer is going to pull through."

"But what if Spencer doesn't pull through?" Nolan asked. "How am I supposed to live with myself knowing I took away her opportunity to say goodbye? Olivia I…" He trailed off, and cast a glance at Hailey over his shoulder – she was sitting on the couch, blissfully unaware and fast asleep. He turned back to Olivia. "I won't lie to her like you did."

With that, Nolan made his way back into the living room. Olivia watched silently as he bypassed everyone else to get to Hailey. He knelt down in front of her and then gently shook her leg to rouse her awake. As she woke up, Hailey smiled at first when she saw Nolan – Olivia had to look away as Nolan began speaking, not wanting to see her daughter's happy expression turn to one of horror.

 _There are always the shades of gray._

"Spencer?! Oh my God! Oh my God, _no!_ "

* * *

 **February 10, 2017 12:00 p.m.**

Drew had a nervous feeling in the pit of his stomach as he stood outside the front door to Charlotte's apartment. He hadn't seen for months, not since she'd told him that she'd been expelled – since then, he'd been diving headfirst into Olivia's retrial, being at Nolan and Stevie's beck and call, while from what he'd heard from Amanda Charlotte had been knee deep in sessions with her therapist and Narcotics Anonymous meetings. Drew was glad that she was getting the help she needed, but he hadn't been able to face her – not when he felt like their complicated history just might suffocate him.

But the truth was that he missed her. Having her in his life in some way, shape or form was better than not having her at all. But as he lifted up his hand to knock on the door, Drew couldn't help but feel his anxiety start to build. "Charlotte? It's me."

A moment later, the door opened and Drew came face to face with Charlotte for the first time in a long time. She looked much more put together than when he'd seen her last – makeup fully intact, hair carefully parted, clothes neat and tidy. "Drew," She said, not hiding the surprise in her tone. "Hi. Come in."

She stepped aside, granting Drew access to the apartment. Inside, it smelled like the candle she was burning. "I just…" Drew began awkwardly. "Wanted to see how you were doing."

Charlotte tensed up at his words. "I'm fine." She said flatly, before nodding to the couch. "Sit?"

The tension in the air was palpable as Drew sat down on her couch. Charlotte went into the kitchen and he could hear her puttering around. "The place looks nice," He said, to fill the silence. He looked on the coffee table and spotted a small, golden chip, sitting on top of the glass.

"My medallion," Charlotte said. He looked up, startled, having not heard her reappear. "I'm officially 90 days sober."

"I...I didn't mean to snoop -"

She waved him off. "It's fine. I'm pretty sure Amanda goes through every single one of my drawers when she comes over – like she thinks I'm hiding a kilo in my dresser, or something. She wasn't too happy when I told her I was moving back here." She sat down in the chair across from him and crossed her legs.

"How are you, Charlotte?" Drew asked. "I heard you were seeing your therapist again…"

"Dr. Jones," Charlotte sighed. "He means well, but all he ever wants to do is talk about my childhood blah blah blah, daddy issues blah blah blah."

"Is it helping you, though?" Drew persisted. "Because, I still think rehab might be a good idea…"

"As you can see, I'm fine Drew." She said adamantly. "I'm talking to my doctor, I'm going to NA meetings, I'm trying to move on. My addiction…" She trailed off. "My addiction jeopardized everything I've worked so hard for, including my own life. I'm not going to risk that."

Drew looked down at the floor. For a moment he wondered if he was one of the things she was referring to – their relationship just another thing that had been ruined by her drug use, so much so that now the two of them could barely even make eye contact. "Listen, Charlotte, about Gavin and Cole…"

Charlotte rose from her seat and walked back to the kitchen. "Can we not talk about them, please?" She asked. "I don't want to think about it." Drew heard what sounded like a cabinet opening and then slamming.

He sighed in defeat and got up. "Okay," He gave in. "I'm...I'm glad you're doing alright."

"Mmmhmm," He heard Charlotte say, followed by the sound of more slamming doors.

Drew opened his mouth, but then closed it. What more could he possibly say? It was clear that she didn't want to talk. And that little part of him that had been hoping that maybe - just maybe - they could get back together had been fooling itself. He should've known better. "I'll see you around," He said instead, before opening the door and walking out.

When she heard the door close behind him, Charlotte let out a sob that she'd been holding back since he arrived. Her hands clenched around the counter, turning her knuckles white.

The truth was that she wasn't okay. She'd lost everything - school, her sister's trust... _Drew_. She'd lost it all, while the boys who had carelessly taken her life into their own hands were still going about as normal, with no repercussions for their actions. She had nothing, and they had everything.

She threw open the cabinet door, intending to get herself a glass of water, but then she froze. She'd forgotten it was there - the little plastic baggie, the last of her stash, which she had shoved into a random place when she'd first moved back into her place, wanting to get it out of her sight that instant. She slammed the door close, starting to physically shake.

The truth was, as much as she tried to deny it, she craved the familiar embrace of drugs more now than possibly ever before…

* * *

Meanwhile, Olivia watched with baited breath as on the stand Arturo Rivera – formerly known as Juror #1 – testified in her defense. "I didn't want to say that she was guilty, but they threatened me." Arturo explained to Stevie, his eyes on Olivia the whole time. "I was worried for my children's safety, so I had to agree."

"And who were these people that threatened you?" Stevie asked him.

Arturo gulped, and his gaze shifted to the perfectly polished couple in the front row of the prosecution's side. "Mr. and Mrs. Chamberlain."

There was a collective gasp around the room, while Olivia exhaled. Her retrial had been lagging on and on for eight, slow, painful weeks. Every single piece of evidence had been reshown, every witness recalled – only this time, they had more evidence which would hopefully tip the scales in her favor. If Chamberlain's emails with Lucas Barlow hadn't convinced the jury, Olivia hoped that Arturo's testimony would.

Stevie walked back to her seat once she'd finished her questioning, unable to hide the smirk on her face. "Mr. McKenzie," said the judge. "Your witness."

McKenzie stood up, and Olivia saw him wipe some sweat from his brow. "Your Honor," He said. "No questions for this witness."

McKenzie sank back down into his seat, and around him the courtroom began to buzz. Olivia glanced over her shoulder, her eyes locking with Nolan. "Why is he doing that?" She mouthed.

Nolan shrugged, visibly confused as well. "I have no idea," He whispered.

Still perplexed, Olivia turned back around in her seat. "Ms. Grayson," the judge said. "Do you have any further witnesses?"

Stevie shook her head. "No, Your Honor. The defense rests."

"Mr. McKenzie?"

McKenzie looked up, and in that moment Olivia found his expression unreadable. Was he cocky? Defeated? "The people rest, Your Honor."

"Okay then," The judge said, also seeming a little unsettled herself by McKenzie's strange behavior. "Closing arguments it is then. Mr. McKenzie."

McKenzie stood up again, and Nolan glanced over at the Chamberlains – Brett was looking down, while next to him Sonya practically had smoke coming out of her ears. It was clear they had no idea what McKenzie was doing either.

"Ladies and gentlemen of the jury," McKenzie said. His voice lacked the trademark confidence which had once punctuated it. "Olivia Anderson is accused of committing horrible acts of terror against the United States. They are saying that not only has she laundered money, but committed treason against the country of her birth. What I ask of you today is…" He trailed off. "What I ask, is that you carefully consider every piece of evidence which has been presented to you in the past two months. I don't want you to do what you think is expected of you, or what you feel pressured to do – I want you to give the verdict that you, in your heart, believe is right. Thank you."

As McKenzie walked back to his seat and Stevie stood up, she shot him a confused glance. "For once, I am in agreement with Mr. McKenzie," She said, addressing the jurors. "You should vote with your heart – and I know that in your heart you know as well as I do that Olivia Anderson is not guilty. We have shown you that she is a loyal American and loving mother – she is an innocent victim, trapped because of her connections to a very powerful man, who is able to take her and anyone she holds dear down if he so desires. I ask you to please, _please_ think about Olivia Anderson, and her daughter – haven't they suffered enough?"

"Thank you, Ms. Grayson." said the judge, while the lawyer walked back to her seat. "Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, you have seen the evidence and heard the witnesses' testimonies. It is your job to determine the validity of this evidence as it has been presented to you. And I must remind you that if there is any reasonable doubt in your minds, then in the eyes of the law you must acquit. Court is now dismissed, we will reconvene once the jury has reached a verdict."

The courtroom dispersed, the rest of the group getting up and starting to head on their way. Nolan rose to leave, but he looked up when he heard his name called. "Nolan, wait!"

He turned and saw Olivia making her way towards him, having ripped her wrist free from the prison guard's grip. He opened his mouth to ask her what was wrong when she caught him off guard by throwing both arms around his neck. "What was that for?" He asked, confused by the sudden embrace.

"I just need you to know," Olivia said, backing away but her hands remaining on his shoulders. "That no matter what the jury says...I love you. And I'm always going to love you."

As he looked at her in that moment, Nolan honestly felt like he might cry. After they'd broken up, he'd spent too many nights to count imagining what it would be like to hear her say those words one more time. He'd dated other people, loved other people, but none of them could even compare to how he'd felt about her – and while other people had loved him, or claimed to, none of them meant it half as much as she did. His heart had belonged to Olivia since he was nineteen years old. "I love you too."

In that moment, he didn't care how many people might have been watching – he took her face in his hands and kissed her.

When they pulled apart, Olivia looked at him with a smile on her face, biting her lip. Their moment was shattered by the guard, as he took Olivia by the arm and cuffed her. "Break it up, let's go." As the guard lead her away, her gaze unfaltering, watching Nolan with her green eyes shining until she couldn't see him anymore.

All they could do was hope that this would be the last time he had to watch her walk away from him.

* * *

 **February 12, 2017**

"Jack! Can you get the door?"

Jack took the steps two at a time on the way down, his sweatshirt only half-zippered. "You're closer to it than I am," He said to his wife, and Amanda sighed loudly from where she was lying on the couch.

"Bay literally just sat on me and I think if I stand up my legs will fall off. If you love me, you'll get the door." From his spot on her chest, the dog whined – in his mind he was still a lap dog, being completely oblivious to his now larger size. Amanda scratched him behind the ears to appease him and Bay placed his head down on her stomach contently.

"Daddy," Carl called out from his spot on the floor. "Can we play boats, _please_?"

Jack assured him they would, before finally reaching the front door and pulling it open. "Drew," He said when he saw their unexpected guest. "What's going on? Is the jury back already?"

The younger man took a step forward, appearing tense. "No, they're still deliberating, as far as I know. I'm here about Charlotte."

Amanda sat up immediately at the sound of her sister's name, and Bay whimpered at the sudden movement before getting up and scampering across the room. "Is she okay?"

Drew bit his lip. "Yes and no." He said vaguely. "Can I come in?"

After Jack stepped aside to grant him entry, Drew walked into the house and Amanda got up from the couch, appearing concerned. "What's wrong with Charlotte?" She repeated. "Is she alright?"

"She's fine...physically, anyway." Drew said, then he paused. "Look, you guys might think I'm crazy…"

"Whatever it is, you can tell us." Jack insisted. "Especially if it's about Charlotte."

Drew was silent for a moment. "It's not fair," He said. "It's not fair that they get to keep on living their lives, going to school and being normal, and acting like they didn't do anything wrong."

At his words, the couple's demeanors changed – it was clear Charlotte had told them the story. Jack glanced over his shoulder to ensure Carl was not listening – he'd run off to go chase after Bay. "You mean," He asked Drew. "The guys who...left her there?"

Drew nodded. "Gavin McIntyre and Cole Livingston. And President Harris – who let them get off scot-free. They all deserve to pay for what they did."

Amanda raised an eyebrow. "You're not suggesting…?"

"I am," Drew told her. "I want Charlotte to be able to move on. I want revenge for her. And I need you guys to help."

Amanda looked to her husband, clearly unsure about how he would take this request. "What do you think?"

At first Jack didn't say anything, not meeting Amanda's eyes. "...What exactly do you have in mind?" He asked Drew, much to Amanda's surprise.

"No one is going to get hurt," Drew insisted. "But they deserve punishment for ruining Charlotte's life. It's not fair for them to keep going on as normal while Charlotte suffers. They should feel guilty for what they've done."

Jack looked up, and Amanda saw an expression on his face which she'd only seen a few times before – when he'd tried to kill Conrad, when he'd found out Margaux had tried to get Carl taken away, and now. "These people hurt Charlotte," He said. "And Drew's right, they shouldn't be able to get away with that."

"And I agree with you," Amanda said. "But are you sure this is what you want?"

Jack nodded. "They should've known better than to mess with someone we love."

With a sigh, Amanda turned back to Drew. "Okay then." She said. "But we need a plan."

Drew smiled. "Oh don't worry, I already have one."

* * *

Hailey sighed as she stepped into Nolan's house, dramatically dropping her bag on the floor, Spencer at her heels. At the moment, they were the only ones home. "Do you think Nolan would notice if I borrowed some of his bourbon?" She asked. "Because the jury's not back yet and I think I need it."

Spencer smirked, and Hailey went into the kitchen while he removed his coat. "The word 'borrow' implies that you plan on putting it back and I hope you don't do that." He went to hang up his jacket and scarf on the hook, but he paused when he saw something sticking out of the pocket of one of Hailey's coats.

When he walked into the kitchen, he found Hailey rummaging around the kitchen. "Okay, so I can't find the bourbon, but I think there is still a tub of ice cream in the freezer, and that is just as stress relieving as alcohol -" She turned around and froze when she saw Spencer, standing there holding a thick manila envelope. "Where did you get that?"

"Massachusetts Vital Records?" Spencer said, reading off the return address. "Hailey, what is this?"

The girl gulped. "It's a copy of my birth certificate. It arrived a few weeks ago…"

Spencer walked over, closing the distance between them. "Hailey, that's great. Why haven't you opened it?"

Hailey looked down. "I want to, but...I'm scared, Spencer. My mother said to me...my mother said to me, that if I went looking for my father, I'd be disappointed by what I'd find. Maybe she's right. Maybe I'm better off not knowing…"

"Hailey," Spencer said gently. He touched her face and tilted her chin upward to make her look at him. "Remember what I told you – you are _amazing_. If your father doesn't want to get to know you, then that's his loss. And it says a lot more about him than it does about you."

Hailey's lower lip quivered, but she smiled tentatively. "Okay," She said. "Okay, I'm gonna open it."

Spencer smiled and watched as Hailey tore open the seal on the envelope. Her eyes scanned the page, and Spencer watched as her face fell. "What is it?" He asked.

"I…" Hailey stammered. "I don't understand."

"What?" Spencer repeated. He ripped the paper from Hailey's hands and read the name printed on the birth certificate: _Anderson, Hailey Marie_. Immediately, he understood Hailey's confusion. "But I thought you said your mother originally gave you your father's last name…?"

"That's what Nolan said she told him when he was helping me look for my father back in the fall," Hailey said. "But here it says I had my mother's last name when I was born, and no father is listed."

Spencer took the envelope from her and looked inside, but he found nothing else remaining. "Maybe this was re-issued after your mom changed your last name," He offered up. "Or maybe Nolan just remembered what she told him wrong…"

Hailey shook her head. "I guess…" She said, but truthfully she was more confused than ever.

* * *

Louise hummed to herself as she walked briskly up the path to her house, grocery bags in hand. There was a nip in the air, and she was anxious to get inside, maybe make some tea. However, she froze in place when she reached her doorway, seeing she had unexpected company. "Can I help you with something?"

The two people - one man and one woman - turned around, and the man smiled before pulling something out of his pocket. Louise recognized it immediately as a police badge, and her stomach dropped. "I'm Detective Mueller from Southampton Police Department, this is my partner Detective Pratt. Are you Louise Ellis?"

"Yes…" Louise said nervously. "Is everything alright?"

"We just have some questions for you, ma'am." said the woman - Detective Pratt. "Do you mind if we come inside? It's a little chilly out here."

Louise nodded, and she tried to hide the fact that she was shaking as she stuck her key in the lock. "Make yourselves at home," She said, in the most chipper voice she could muster. She placed her bags down by the door, and took her time hanging her coat up on the hook. When she walked into the living room, she found that Detective Pratt had seated herself on the couch, while Detective Mueller was leaning up against the fireplace, one hand on the wall and the other on his hip. "Miss Ellis," Detective Pratt said. "We'd like to talk to you about the death of Lucas Barlow."

Louise could practically feel the color drain from her face. "Lucas Barlow?" She repeated, playing dumb. "Isn't he that...that terrorist who killed himself?"

"That's the thing," Detective Mueller said. "Now we're not quite so sure he killed himself."

"What?" Louise said, forcing a nervous laugh. "Why, that's ridiculous!"

"We spoke with Mr. Barlow's mother," Pratt explained. "Martha Barlow. She says that she knows you - and that it was _you_ who told her her son did not commit suicide."

"Look, Miss Ellis," Mueller said. He pushed off from the wall and walked over to Louise, shoving his hands in his pockets. As his coat shifted, she could see his gun clipped to his belt. "I'll be honest with you - from the coroner's report, this seems like a suicide to me. But with Mrs. Barlow so adamant that her son was murdered for months now - and with her allegations that _you_ , ma'am, we're involved - well, what kind of cops would we be if we didn't conduct an investigation?"

Louise tried to smile. "Detectives, it's true that I did know Martha Barlow - she wanted my advice on this charity she's starting for her son, given my history of philanthropy and all. And...I may have blurted out to her that her son didn't take his own life."

Detective Pratt raised an eyebrow at her. "And why did you say that, Miss Ellis?"

She shook her head. "Oh, it wasn't true. I just felt so bad for poor Martha... And in that moment, I just wanted to ease her pain - I didn't think it through. After all, my…" She trailed off and closed her eyes, this part particularly hard for her to say. "My late brother died tragically. I...I know how much that hurts."

Detective Pratt nodded and stood up. "Well thank you for your time, Miss Ellis. We really appreciate you clearing this up for us."

Louise nodded, and forced herself to smile. "Anything for The Hamptons' finest."

* * *

"This is going to work, right?"

Amanda looked up from applying her lipstick, as next to her Jack straightened out his tie for what had to be the third time in the past five minutes. "Everything will be fine." She said, capping the tube and placing it back in her clutch. "Drew came up with a sound plan. You can relax."

"Easy for you to say," Her husband said uneasily. "You're much more experienced with this than I am."

The Town Car door opened and Drew stuck his head in. "Alright, let's go. The sooner I can get out of this monkey suit, the better."

Amanda nodded. "You go try to blend in. Jack and I will make sure we can get to Harris."

"Will do," Drew affirmed. "I'll see you on the other side." After smoothing down his lapel, he turned and disappeared into the crowd.

With a sigh, Jack got out of the car and extended his hand to his wife to help her up. "You lead the way, sensei." He said cheekily, and Amanda playfully rolled her eyes at him.

All around them, elegantly dressed donors were making their way up the path to their destination – the NYU main building. Along the path, the same ad which Drew had shown them earlier was strung up as a banner – _New York University Donors Gala_.

Amanda and Jack walked up the steps and approached the door, where a line of people were waiting to get in. When it was their turn, Amanda flashed her best socialite smile at the attendant. "Sorry, we're a last minute addition. Jack and Amanda Porter?"

The attendant's eyes widened when Amanda gave their names. "Yes, Mr. and Mrs. Porter," She said, clearly trying to act calm. "President Harris was very happy when he saw your names on tonight's guest list. In fact, he'd love to meet you both, if you don't mind?"

Amanda's grin widened – getting to Harris would be even easier than they thought. It seemed he couldn't resist someone with a big checkbook. "We'd love to, thank you."

The attendant beamed and moved to lead them back. They followed her inside the building, which was decorated in NYU purple and packed with people. "At the risk of sounding totally unprofessional," The girl was saying as she led them through the throng. "I'm a huge fan. Is there any chance I could, maybe, get an autograph?"

Jack chuckled. "Sure."

Finally, they reached a clearing in the crowd, and that's when they saw them. President Harris was standing by his table, drinking a glass of scotch and appearing stern. Next to him, an elegant looking woman with silvery gray hair and a warm smile was greeting people and shaking hands. "President Harris," The girl said. "This is Mr. and Mrs. Porter."

President Harris smiled and put down his drink, moving to shake both their hands, while the girl went back to her post. "What a pleasure to meet you both. I was pleasantly surprised to see you were attending this evening."

Amanda smiled and accepted his offer of a handshake. "It's lovely to meet you as well, President Harris. I've heard great things about you and your university."

"Oh please, call me Franklin." Harris insisted. Once he'd shaken Jack's hand, he pressed a hand to the older woman's back. "This is my wife, Rosalind. She is an English professor here."

"Thank you both so much for coming," Mrs. Harris told them sincerely. "It really touches our hearts to see all the people coming to support our university."

"The pleasure's all ours," Jack said. "The truth is that NYU is special for us."

A look of panic crossed Harris's face, but only briefly – in a millisecond his composed expression returned. "Yes, your sister." He said, looking to Amanda. "I was very sorry to hear what had happened to her, Mrs. Porter. How is she doing by the way?"

"Recovering," Amanda told him, forcing herself to smile. "I can't blame you for the decision you made, President Harris – sorry, _Franklin_. Charlotte is an addict, and she needs a lot of help."

"Oh, dear." Mrs. Harris said – it was clearly the first she'd heard of this. "I'm so sorry to hear that. But it's very good that she has a supportive sister like you to help her. If we can do anything, please let us know."

Amanda nodded – she could tell that, unlike her husband, the woman was genuine. "Thank you." She opened her clutch, and discreetly checked her phone. There was a text notification from Drew. _She's here._ _We're all set to go_. Amanda smiled to herself.

"You know," She told Harris. "I heard some friends of my sister's were here tonight, and I'd love to meet them. Gavin McIntyre and Cole Livingston?"

Harris forced a smile. "Yes." He said, and it was clear that he was hoping the conversation would end there, but Amanda continued to look at him expectantly. "I...I could introduce you, if you'd like."

Jack smiled. "We'd love that."

Taking a long swig of his scotch, Harris led the couple through the crowd and his wife followed. As they walked she reached for his hand, but he yanked it away. Amanda and Jack exchanged a look.

Finally, they reached a cluster of people and Amanda resisted the urge to scowl at the mere sight of them. The boys they knew as Gavin and Cole were both standing there, laughing about something. Next to them, a poised couple were talking to a middle-aged woman in a suit. The latter smiled when she saw Harris. "Hello, sir. Nice to see you again."

"Mr. and Mrs. Porter," Harris said, introducing them. "I'd like to introduce you to Senator Livingston, and Dr. and Mrs. McIntyre. All proud alumni of our university. This is Jack and Amanda Porter."

Amanda smiled. "And you must be Gavin and Cole. I hear you're dear friends of my sister – Charlotte Clarke?"

The two looked at each other when she said this. "Yeah," Cole said nervously. "I guess you could say that."

"We've heard a lot about both of you," Jack said, and Amanda could see the look of fear in their eyes at his words.

"You've never mentioned that you were friends of the Clarkes before, Gavin." Mrs. McIntyre said, her eyes sparkling, and Amanda could immediately tell she was one of _those_ people – you know, who placed too much emphasis on status and the connections you had. She looked to Amanda. "I had the pleasure of meeting your father at a party back in '92. He was very kind, very polite. Lovely man, I remember it fondly."

Amanda smiled saccharinely. "I'm sorry to say that he never mentioned you," Mrs. McIntyre's smile fell – Amanda could tell that for an egotist like her, the thought of being unmemorable was horrifying.

"Oh my God."

Their attention was diverted when those three words slipped from President Harris's lips. He was staring at the entryway, jaw slacked, and Amanda resisted the urge to grin as everyone looked at the subject of his bewilderment.

The girl was making her way through the crowd – she couldn't be much older than the students at the university, early to mid-twenties at most, with porcelain skin, piercing blue eyes and long, black hair. There was only one flaw which detracted from her beauty – the track marks peppering up and down her arms.

A smile lit up her face when she saw Harris and she walked over to the group, picking at a scab on her arm like it was a nervous habit. "Frankie!"

Mrs. Harris looked at her husband, perplexed. "Franklin, do you know her?"

President Harris ignored his wife, continuing to stare at the girl and looking baffled. "What are you doing here?"

The girl's eyebrows knitted together. "Frankie, you invited me. Your assistant called me…"

"My assistant?"

"Yeah, some young guy…"

At these words, Harris looked to both Gavin and Cole. "Can you two gentlemen come with me please?" He said snappily. " _Now_." Looking to their parents, the two boys mumbled incoherent responses before following Harris as he stormed off.

Jack touched Mrs. Harris's arm gently. "You know, I'd really love to hear more about the English department here. Can you show me around maybe?" The woman nodded and obliged, but it was obvious she was still completely dumbfounded by what was happening.

Amanda turned to the girl, who looked to be on the verge of tears after Harris's very public rejection. "I'm Amanda," She said, trying to sound sweet.

The girl sniffled. "Lucy."

Amanda smiled at her. "Why don't we take a walk?"

* * *

Drew inched forward from his spot behind a pillar, smiling to himself when he saw Harris storm into the corridor, Gavin and Cole close behind. "I don't know what you're trying to pull here gentlemen," Harris snapped. "But whatever it is, it is not funny. Especially considering how I helped you both!"

"We didn't invite her!" Gavin insisted. "And how you helped us? Oh please, you wouldn't give a crap about either of us if we didn't own your ass."

"How dare you!" Harris thundered. "I should have you expelled right now!"

"You do that," Cole said in a menacing tone. "And we can go out there right now and tell everyone about how you and your crack whore bought $20,000 worth of coke from us in the past six months. We go down, you go down with us."

"Who would believe you?" The older man spat. "You privileged little boys, you are so stupid and selfish! You would've lost everything if it weren't for me!"

"And you still can lose everything," Gavin threatened. "So you better consider your next move very carefully."

With a smile, Drew stepped forward. "How about," He said, surprising the three men. "You smile for the camera."

Harris was fuming when he came face to face with the video camera in Drew's hands, and he shoved it down. "Get that out of my face right now!"

Cole scoffed. "You again, huh? Figures…"

"Yes, me again." Drew confirmed. "And this time I have exactly what I need to show everyone exactly who you are."

"Who would believe you?" Harris roared. "Any of you? I am a respected president of this university! You have no proof!"

At this point, Amanda stepped into the hallway, her red lips forming a smirk. "You sure about that, _Frankie_?" She said, before pressing the play button on her iPhone. _Frankie he…_ Lucy's voice could be heard saying on the recording. _He got me addicted to…to cocaine. And then to heroin. I…can't afford to get help. I don't have any money left. And Frankie says he loves me and that he wants to marry me but…but he won't leave his wife…_ By the time the recording stopped, Harris's face had gone completely pale. "Seems it's five against one now, huh?"

"Look," The man stammered, his confidence now turning into fear. "I'll…I'll let your sister back into the university, okay? Whatever you want, just delete those recordings."

"Oh but that's not enough," Drew said, closing the distance between them. "Your speech is about to start, President. And you're going to get up there and tell everyone that you are resigning, effective immediately. Unless you want your wife to watch this…and the cops too."

Harris's eyes flitted from Drew to Amanda, and he gulped. "Okay, okay, fine. I'll do it."

Amanda smiled. "I figured you would." A look of disgust on his face, the president shoved past them and stormed back into the main room.

"So," Gavin said awkwardly. "I guess this is over then…" He and Cole moved to leave, but Drew placed an arm across their chests and shoved them back.

"Not so fast, boys." He told them. "This incriminates you too. So unless you want to go to jail for the, what was it again? Oh yeah, $20,000 of cocaine you just admitted to selling – plus the possession of whatever else the cops can find in your apartments – I suggest you go to the admissions office and explain that you are dropping out of NYU."

Cole's nostrils flared. "And what if we won't?"

"Then you can go to jail for drug dealing." Amanda said. "Your choice."

The two boys exchanged a look. "Fine, dude." Gavin sighed. "Consider us even." They started to walk back out to rejoin the party, until Drew called out after them.

"Oh, and you might notice a few thousand dollars missing from your trust funds…Consider it compensation for Charlotte's pain and suffering." Amanda's eyes widened at this – Drew hadn't mentioned this part of the plan.

The guys looked at Drew over their shoulders and scowled. "You are such an asshole." Cole said, before the two of them stomped out.

Amanda walked over to Drew, unable to hide that she was slightly impressed. "How did you hack their trust funds?"

"Spencer taught me a few tricks that Nolan taught him – don't worry, no one will be able to trace it back to us."

Amanda smirked, and opened up her purse. From the bottom, she retrieved something and handed it to Drew – he recognized it immediately as photos of Gavin, Cole, and Harris, cut out from the NYU yearbook. Then, she pulled out and uncapped a red Sharpie. "You can do the honors." Drew grinned – he had to admit, crossing out their faces was very satisfying.

Handing it back to her, Drew then popped the tape out of the video camera. "I'm going to go find Jack," He said. "After Harris gives his speech, I want to make sure his wife gets this – she deserves to know."

Amanda patted his shoulder. "Pretty good for your first takedown, kid." Drew smiled slightly, and then walked off to find Jack.

As he left, Amanda glanced down at her phone. She was about to go rejoin the party – she wanted to see the look on Harris's face when he resigned – when suddenly she felt breath on her neck, and a familiar voice sent chills down her spine. A voice she thought she would never hear again.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't Mrs. Porter."

A few minutes later, an ashen Amanda reappeared at the party, where everyone was buzzing with the news that President Harris had just resigned. "Hey," Jack said, walking over towards her, Drew close behind. "We need to go."

"Jack," Amanda said, grabbing his arm. "I need to tell you something…"

"No, we seriously need to go." Her husband told her. "Nolan just called Drew. The jury reached a verdict."

* * *

Nolan and Louise were both seated when the trio arrived, Stevie up front, but Olivia, Hailey and Spencer not yet present. Everyone turned to look at the sight of them – they hadn't gone home to change, and even though Jack and Drew had taken off their jackets and Amanda had hiked up her dress, they were still ridiculously overdressed for the occasion. "Were you three at a party or something?" Nolan asked as they took their seats.

"Umm, something like that." Jack said. "It's a long story."

As they all settled in, Olivia was brought out, her eyes locking with Nolan's. Behind them the courtroom doors opened and Spencer and Hailey rushed in, an envelope in her hands. "Sorry we're late," Spencer mumbled as they slid into the row. Hailey dropped down next to Nolan.

"Remember when you were helping me look for my father?"

Nolan looked at her, surprised by this question, while court was called in session. "Yeah," He whispered back. "Why?"

Hailey handed him the envelope. "You told me that my mother told you that my last name was changed. But it never was. There was no father on my original birth certificate."

Nolan frowned in confusion and opened the envelope, pulling out the document in question. "But why would your mother tell me –" He effectively cut himself off as his eyes scanned a certain line. No, that couldn't be right… "Your birthday is September 22nd?"

Hailey nodded. "Yup, that's it. Oh, I think they're starting." She turned to look at the judge, focusing all her attention up front, but Nolan's eyes remained firmly trained on the paper in front of him. No, Hailey's birthday couldn't be September 22nd. It couldn't be.

He could barely even comprehend the words as they were spoken. "Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, have you reached a verdict?"

The foreman stood up. "We have Your Honor."

"On the charge of money laundering, how do you find?"

All around Nolan, everything was silent. You could've heard a pin drop. "We find the defendant," The foreman said. " _Not_ guilty."

Suddenly, the rest of the group were all gasping and crying out in sheer joy and shock. Olivia looked over her shoulder at Hailey, both of them with tears spilling down their cheeks.

"On the charge of terrorism, how do you find?"

"Not guilty."

"And on the charge of treason, how do you find?"

"Not guilty."

The judge thanked the jury for their service, but they couldn't even wait for court to be adjourned – Hailey stood up and raced over to her mother, throwing both arms around her neck and sobbing into her shoulder. Amanda and Jack hugged. Spencer and Drew high-fived. Louise was jumping up and down. Across the courtroom, Sonya Chamberlain shot her husband an angry look. Stevie peered over at McKenzie, only to see that he was staring straight ahead, not looking disappointed at all.

But Nolan remained trained firmly in his seat, Hailey's birth certificate clenched in his hands. He had imagined this moment, what it would be like to be able to touch Olivia and kiss her in front of everyone, to celebrate her freedom shamelessly. But now, he could only stare, watch as Hailey smiled with tears in her bright blue eyes. _Her eyes_. How had he never realized it before?

Some seemingly meaningless words that Olivia had said to him the day she left twenty years ago were now ringing in his ears. _You were my heart…_ The 'MH' in her diary had never stood for Michael Underwood or Maxwell Hanna at all. This whole time, it had stood for something else: My Heart.

As he put the pieces together in his mind, the truth was staring him right in the face.

He was Hailey's father.

She was his daughter.

* * *

As court dispersed, the judge having decreed that Olivia was to be released immediately, Spencer waited for Hailey by the backdoor. Outside, the paparazzi were having a field day, and they would need to make a discreet exit if they wanted to avoid being photographed – they'd done it so many times that they'd actually become quite good at sneaking off undetected by now.

"Hey," He started to say when he saw Nolan approaching. "Great jo-" But he didn't even have time to finish his sentence as his boss brushed past him, mumbling something about needing air. "Well, okay then." Spencer sighed. He wondered what was bothering him – they'd gotten Olivia off, he should've been happy.

"Spencer!"

He turned around just as Louise rushed over and hugged him – whatever enthusiasm Nolan lacked, she made up for it in spades. "This is exactly the good news I needed." She told him, talking a mile a minute. "We're celebrating. Valentine's Day party, tomorrow, my place. You're coming. Alright, see you later sugar."

"Umm, okay…" Spencer said, but she was already walking off, and it was clear to him that his presence at this event wasn't really optional. Shaking his head, he looked down at his phone, waiting until Hailey would be done talking to Olivia so they could get out of there. Today couldn't get any crazier…

Suddenly, Spencer's eyes went wide and he dropped his phone as he felt himself be grabbed forcefully from behind. Truthfully, the first thought that flashed through his mind was that he was about to be attacked – or worse. But when he turned around, his back now to the wall after being shoved into a corner, he was surprised by who he saw.

"Don't speak," McKenzie whispered, his face so close to Spencer's that it was all he could see. "I need you to hear me out, alright?"

"What the Hell are you –" Spencer started to say, but the prosecutor shushed him.

"I need your help." He said. "I need all of the evidence you have against Brett Chamberlain."

Spencer gaped at him. "Wh-what?"

"Look, I…" McKenzie stammered. "I just want to do the right thing here. I really thought that Olivia was guilty in the beginning. I want the person who did this to get put away just as much as you do – and now I know that the guilty party here is Brett Chamberlain. I knew it as soon as I found out the original jury was tampered with. But I need more proof, because I don't have enough to charge him right now. So, will you help me or not?"

Spencer looked warily from side to side, and then reluctantly he nodded. "Tomorrow night. I'll bring everything."

* * *

That afternoon, Charlotte walked up to her apartment door to find someone waiting for her when she arrived. "Drew?"

He turned around as she called his name, a smile making its way onto his face. He was holding a department store bag in one hand, and a small piece of paper in the other. "Hey," He said. "I don't know if you heard…"

"I did," Charlotte confirmed, sticking her key in the lock. "It's all over the news. I was about to call Hailey and tell her how happy I am for her mom. Is this what you wanted to talk about?"

"Actually, no." Drew said.

"Umm, okay." Charlotte said, pushing open the door and stepping inside. "You want to come in?"

"Nah, this won't take long." With a sigh, he extended the piece of paper to her and Charlotte saw it was a check. "This is for you."

Her eyes widened when she saw the amount. "This is almost $20,000. Drew, I can't accept this."

"Consider it a gift from our friends Gavin and Cole. You don't have to worry about them anymore – or Harris."

Charlotte gave him a look. "Drew, what did you do?"

"Nothing that they didn't do to themselves," He insisted, before handing her the bag. "I hope you don't mind, I used a few thousand out of their money to buy you this." Hesitantly, Charlotte took the gift, and when she opened it she found a pink chiffon dress with a Badgley Mischka label. "I want you to wear it to Louise's Valentine's Day party tomorrow night – we're going to celebrate. You're finally getting your life back."

"Drew…" Charlotte started to say, but they were cut off by the ringing of his phone.

"That's the office," He explained. "I gotta go. But I'll see you tomorrow night." Charlotte opened her mouth to speak, but by this point Drew had already answered his phone and she simply watched as he continued on his way, then slammed the door.

Dropping the bag unceremoniously on the floor, Charlotte sulked back inside. Drew thought it was so easy – but it wasn't. She walked into her kitchen, and opened the cabinet door, where she found the plastic baggie staring her in the face right where she'd left it.

She had problems that couldn't be solved just by a simple revenge plot.

* * *

The next day – February 14 – Amanda was feeling uneasy as she got changed for Louise's party. As she put on her earrings, she found that her mind was still reeling for what had happened yesterday.

"Happy Valentine's Day."

She looked up as Jack walked into the bedroom, looking even more handsome than usual in a suit that matched her dress. "Valentine's Day is just an excuse to sell Hallmark cards," She said.

Jack could sense that something was troubling her. "Are you feeling alright? You've been acting weird all day. Is this about Olivia, or…?"

Amanda shook her head and focused on doing the clasp on her bracelet. "It's not that." She said, before turning around to face Jack. "Listen, about yesterday…"

She was effectively cut off by the ringing of the doorbell, followed by Carl's cry of "Daddy! The door!"

"Hold on one second," Jack told her, going to answer it, and Amanda sighed before following him down the stairs. Jack was ahead of her, and she could hear him answering the door. A silence followed, and then Jack murmured a shocked "…Oh my God."

Amanda took the rest of the steps two at a time, and she froze when she reached the bottom, the person who had given her an unpleasant surprise yesterday now standing in her foyer, an aghast Jack close by.

Mason Treadwell smiled slyly. "Hello again, Amanda. I was pleasantly surprised to see you and the mister were living here in the same house – you neglected to mention it yesterday."

Amanda scowled at him, her hands bawling into fists. "You know Mason, I liked you so much better when you were dead." The writer chuckled in response.

"Mommy? Daddy?" The adults all looked over as Carl appeared – Amanda had completely forgotten that he was in the living room.

"Carl, go play with Bay." Jack told him, trying to keep his cool in front of his son. " _Now_ , please." After a moment's hesitation, the little boy turned and went out to the porch, where the dog was playing. He was clearly confused about who this strange man was and why his parents were so unhappy to see him.

"What do you want, Mason?" Jack asked once his son was gone. "You know you're not welcome here."

The older man shook his head. "I come in peace," He said, raising his hands in surrender. "As I'm sure you've heard, I've made my triumphant return to the land of the living…"

"That's the thing Mason." Amanda snapped. "No one cares."

He placed a hand over his heart and feigned hurt. "Still feisty, aren't you Mandy? As your wife may have conveniently forgotten to mention, Mr. Porter, we had the pleasure of running into each other yesterday – I'm teaching a spring seminar at NYU this year. On memoir writing."

Jack scoffed. "Oh, how the mighty have fallen."

"But not for long, hence the purpose of my visit today." Mason continued. "I'm writing a new book to finalize my comeback – exposing the dirtiest secrets of high society. And I believe you two might proof useful."

"If you're here looking for dirt on us Mason," Amanda said. "Then you're out of luck, because Jack and I have nothing to hide."

"Originally I considered penning an expose on The Hamptons's golden couple – but then I realized, you're yesterday's news. Who's really hot right now is your dear friend Nolan Ross."

The couple both gave him a look. "Are you serious?" Jack said. "We would never tell you anything about Nolan!"

Mason laughed. "I figured you would say that. But trust me – it's really in your best interest that you help me out." Amanda and Jack both looked over as they heard their front door open again and this time in stepped a tall, hulking man who they had never seen before. "Oh, this is Roger." Mason said, chipper. "My new head of security. We must be on our way." The writer turned to go, while his bodyguard looked out towards the porch – through the glass door, you could see Carl, playing with Bay and laughing happily.

"Cute kid," Roger said, nodding at him. "I bet you love him a lot." Amanda's face paled at his words – the way he said them, they sounded like a threat.

Mason raised his hand in a wave. "Ta-ta for now." He said, and then he and his companion were gone.

* * *

Louise smiled as she opened the door. "Great to see you, hun." She said, leaning forward to kiss Nolan on both cheeks. "Drinks are in the kitchen, music's ready to go, food is being set out. Is Olivia on her way here?"

"I, uh, I don't know." Nolan said vaguely as he stepped inside. "I…haven't talked to her today."

Louise frowned, immediately sensing that he wasn't his usual self. "Everything okay, hun?"

Nolan shook his head. "Yeah, fine." Still not convinced, Louise turned away – she had a party to finish preparing for, and it was obvious he didn't want to talk.

As he walked in Nolan stuck his hand in his jacket pocket, his fingers clenching around Hailey's rolled up birth certificate.

 _From childhood we are taught the difference between right and wrong. But it's much more complicated than we think._

* * *

McKenzie had asked him to meet up at a motel, off the highway leading to The Hamptons. As he reached the door marked with the room number the prosecutor had texted him, Spencer hesitated, clenching his fingers around the flash drive in his hand. It contained everything they'd been able to get on Chamberlain – the emails with Barlow, surveillance photos, texts he'd sent to Olivia, everything they knew about him. For some reason there was a feeling deep in his gut that something was…off. But, against his better judgment, Spencer opened the door.

 _There isn't an angel and a devil on our shoulders, telling us what to do._

And he immediately froze.

The first thing he saw was McKenzie – he was lying down on the floor, his head lolled back, blood seeping through his shirt. His face was blue. And he was dead.

When he heard the door open, the man hunched over McKenzie's body looked up, panic in his eyes – it was Chamberlain. Spencer looked from one of them to the other, his mouth agape. "The Hell?" He gasped.

 _Everyone has their own instincts of right and wrong._

It happened so fast after that. Spencer tried to back away, but Chamberlain's hand flew up instantly – Spencer just barely caught a glimpse of the gun he was holding before he fired.

Gasping for breath, the younger man fell to the floor, and much to his horror Spencer looked down to see a bullet hole piercing his body. The realization that he'd just been _shot_ hit him full force. He sputtered and coughed, his eyes wide with fear as he saw Chamberlain's face looming over his, the man looking crazy and panic-stricken as he saw what he'd done.

That was when Spencer passed out.

 _Their own moral compass which guides them._

* * *

 **February 15, 2017 1:02 am**

 **Suffolk County Memorial Hospital**

"African-American male, early to mid-twenties, GSW to the abdomen. Tell OR 1 we're on our way."

When Spencer opened his eyes again, he saw a series of bright lights above him. He looked over, seeing the faces of several doctors as they frantically pushed him down the hallway. "Sir?" One of them was saying. "Sir, can you stay awake for me?" Spencer tried to nod, fighting the urge to close his heavy eyelids.

"Spencer! Oh my God, Spencer!"

 _You can try to categorize everything as strictly good or strictly bad, but it's not that easy._

At first, he thought he was hallucinating when he saw Hailey running towards him. But as she shoved a doctor out of the way – grabbing Spencer's hand for dear life and knotting their fingers together – he realized it wasn't a hallucination at all. "Ha…Hailey…" He mumbled, as best he could with an oxygen mask covering his face.

Hailey was crying, and she placed a hand on his face as she followed the gurney down the hall to the operating room. "It's me, I'm here. Spencer, I'm here…"

"He's bleeding heavily," One of the doctors said. "He needs surgery immediately…"

Spencer looked to Hailey, his eyes wide. "Hailey, I need…I need to tell you something…"

Hailey met his eyes. "What is it?" She asked, but before Spencer could finish he was wheeled into the OR, Hailey holding onto him until finally she was forced to let go.

 _After all, when the villain tells the story, they think they're the hero._


	6. Collision Course

**A/N** : Guys, I literally forgot today was Sunday. I had to re-take my ACT yesterday and it threw me off so much, in my head I went through almost the whole day thinking it was Saturday. And then it didn't occur to me until 9:00 at night that I was supposed to update today. That's so pathetic, I know. I hope there's no typos in here because I didn't have time to read the whole thing over.

I also decided to finally put my four year old and never used Polyvore account to good use after a conversation I had with starfiction123 - I posted all the outfits that I imagined the characters wearing at Louise's Valentine's party (except for Spencer cause you know...poor boy never made it to the party). My username is the same as on here so if you guys want to check it out, please do!

 **Disclaimer** : _Revenge_ is not my creation.

* * *

 **February 15, 2017 2:30 a.m.**

 _For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction._

They'd been waiting for over an hour by this point.

As the little group of revengers sat in the waiting room – except for Hailey, who was pacing back and forth and continuing to wipe a seemingly endless stream of tears from her eyes – no one spoke. Even though it was very late at night – or well, very early in the morning depending on how you looked at it – they were all wide awake. They couldn't sleep – not when one of their own was receiving major surgery and they hadn't heard anything.

 _Everything we do, no matter how insignificant it may seem, has consequences._

Hailey continued to pace, a hand covering her mouth as tears fell down her cheeks. Spencer was one of her closest friends – she cared about him, and she didn't know if he was going to be alright. She glanced up at the rest of the group – Charlotte had her head down, while Drew was trying to hold back his own tears as he surely thought about the fact that he might lose his best friend. Her mother looked like she might be sick, Louise was white as a ghost, and Amanda and Jack were holding hands and looking somber. Then, there was Nolan – his expression was undecipherable, but there was one thing Hailey had noticed: he had barely looked away from her since they got to the hospital. It was like his eyes were permanently trained on her.

 _At the time, we usually don't consider the possible repercussions of our choices._

Truthfully, Nolan didn't know what to think at that moment. He was trying not to stare, but he was still processing his revelation about Hailey in his mind. He watched as his daughter continued to walk back and forth, wringing the front of her dress every so often – God, his _daughter_. It felt so weird to think of her as such. He was someone's _father_ – in fact, he'd unknowingly been someone's father for nearly twenty years. This was so messed up.

 _But once we've chosen our path we can't take it back._

"Are you all here for Mr. Presley?"

Everyone rose to their feet as the scrub nurse appeared, Hailey surging forward. "Umm, yes." She managed to say, wiping under her eyes with her thumb. "How is he?"

The nurse looked over her shoulder, eyeing the large group of anxious people suspiciously. "I can't divulge specifics to anyone who isn't family…"

"I'm his wife," Hailey blurted out quickly, without a second thought. "Please, just tell us – is he okay?"

It was clear the nurse didn't entirely buy this bold-faced lie, but she relented – after all, how could you not take pity on this poor, crying girl? "He lost a lot of blood, so we had to give him a transfusion. He had a splenic bleed, which we successfully repaired, and a massive haemothorax – that is, a collection of blood in between the chest wall and the lung. Somehow one of his ribs was fractured, perhaps when he fell after being shot. But he made it through surgery, and is now resting comfortably." Hailey let out a sigh of relief – thank God, he was going to be okay. "Your husband is a very strong man."

Hailey nodded, tears in her eyes for a different reason this time. "Yes, he is. Can I go see him?"

The nurse smiled. "Of course – right this way." As she guided Hailey off, Olivia followed instinctively, shooting one last glance at Nolan over her shoulder.

 _Even if it sends us spiraling towards an ugly end._

* * *

"What is he doing here?"

Jack looked up at the sound of his wife's annoyed voice, and he immediately spotted the subject of her discontent – the figure who was currently watching them deviously from the end of the hallway.

"What is who doing here?" Drew piped up. He was the only one who was paying any attention at the moment – Hailey and Olivia were back in Spencer's hospital room, waiting for him to wake up, Charlotte looked like she was sleeping with her eyes open, Louise had excused herself to go freshen up, and Nolan had gone somewhere but no one knew where exactly.

"Umm, no one." Jack said quickly. "We'll be right back." When he turned to head down the hallway he found that Amanda had already stormed over, clearly pissed, and he quickened his pace in order to catch up to her.

Mason turned and smiled when he saw them. "Hello again –" He was cut off when Amanda grabbed him by the lapel of his suit and dragged him off to a corner, pinning him up against the wall with an arm across his throat. "Well," Mason gasped, still sounding cheeky even though he was being choked. "This is a very rude greeting."

Jack pulled his wife off, because as much as he loathed Mason he couldn't exactly allow her to murder him. Amanda scowled, while Jack dragged her back by the arm. "What are you doing here?" He demanded.

"Do you honestly think that some of The Hamptons' most famous socialites can all rush to the hospital without it leaking to TMZ? I thought I should leave your poor friends some get well flowers."

"We told you, Mason." Amanda snapped. "We will not tell you anything about Nolan – did we not make ourselves clear? Because I can say it in different words if that'll get it through your thick skull."

Mason smiled. "And did my friend Roger not make himself clear?" That shut her up right away.

"Hurting a child is low, Mason, even for you." Jack said, trying to sound confident even though inside he was afraid. "We're…we're calling your bluff!"

The other man shrugged. "You can take your chances – and maybe I'll call Roger as soon as we're done here and tell him what you've decided. You never know." The couple exchanged a wary look, while Mason slinked off, but then he paused and looked back over his shoulder. "I heard that Nolan Ross and Olivia Anderson kissed in court the other day. What an interesting twist, don't you think?" He turned to go, when suddenly someone called after him.

Amanda stepped forward. "Mason?" She yelled, stopping the man in his tracks. "One hour! Come back in one hour, and we'll give you what you want!"

* * *

Meanwhile, back in the waiting room, Drew sighed and stood up on his shaky legs. He couldn't stand to sit there any longer – not when he just kept driving himself crazy, thinking about everything Spencer had been through today. "I'm going to the cafeteria," He said to Charlotte. "You want anything?" When she didn't answer, he looked over to her, only to find that she had burst into tears. "Hey, what's wrong?"

Charlotte shook her head, mascara running down her cheeks. "I…I…" It was obvious that her high had worn off, leaving her emotional and miserable.

Drew knelt down in front of her and placed his hands on her knees. "Spencer's gonna be okay," He assured her. "The nurse said so…"

"It's not that," Charlotte blubbered, rubbing her eyes and making her makeup smudge worse. "God, I'm…I'm such a screw up, Drew. I…I can't do anything right."

Without thinking twice, Drew wrapped his arms around her shoulders and closed the distance between them. After a brief hesitation, she cautiously buried her face into the crook of his neck, and the two of them remained in that position silently for a moment.

"Come on," Drew finally said, helping Charlotte get to her feet. "Let's go for a walk."

* * *

Something was beeping.

That was the first thing Spencer noticed as he pried his tired eyes open. He blinked once, then twice, his eyes adjusting as he stared at the bland white ceiling. Slowly, he moved his head from side to side, his neck feeling stiff, and spotted the source of the noise – his heart monitor. He wet his lips, which were incredibly dry, but felt no relief. "Ha…Hailey…"

The girl's head flew up instantly as she heard Spencer say her name. She'd fallen asleep at some point in the chair by his bed, both her hands remaining interwoven with one of his even in her slumber, but the sound of his voice woke her up immediately. "Spencer?" Hailey gasped as their eyes met – yes, she wasn't dreaming, he was really awake. "Oh my God, Spencer." She got up and climbed onto his bed, hugging him without thinking twice. Spencer winced slightly as she accidentally brushed his side and Hailey jumped back, realizing she'd hurt him. "Oh, sorry…"

Hearing the commotion, Olivia slowly woke up from where she'd fallen asleep on the couch across the room. "Good to see you're awake." She mumbled, but she didn't get up, remaining back so she could give the two kids their space.

Hailey ran a hand through his hair gently. "You had us really scared there for a minute, Spence. If you had died…" She shook her head. "If you had died, I would've killed you."

Spencer smiled slightly. "Well I knew sticking around wasn't optional." They both chuckled under their breath.

Suddenly, Spencer froze as all the memories of what had happened came rushing back to him. "The person, the person who shot me…" He mumbled. "McKenzie…"

Hailey leaned forward, brow wrinkled. "McKenzie? McKenzie shot you?"

Spencer shook his head 'no'. "I was…supposed to meet McKenzie…he was building a case against Chamberlain…but when I got to the motel, he was already dead. He…"

Hailey squeezed his hand. "Spencer," She said gently. "Who shot you?"

He looked at her. "Brett Chamberlain," He said. "Brett Chamberlain shot me. And I…I think he shot McKenzie too."

Her face ashen, Hailey turned to Olivia. "Mom…" She said, clearly unsure of what to do.

Olivia got to her feet and looked from one of them to the other. "You two stay here, I'm going to go find the doctor and then call the police. It's gonna be okay, alright?" Hailey nodded, still looking scared, and Olivia headed out the door.

"Excuse me," She said to the nearest nurse. "Can you get the doctor in there, please?" The woman nodded, and then walked away to fetch Spencer's physician. Now alone, Olivia dug into her purse, searching for her phone. She had the number for the Southampton PD half-dialed when suddenly a hand was clamped over her mouth.

She tried to scream, but all she was able to elicit were muffled cries. She kicked, tried to break away, but her heels didn't have good traction and she could only slide as her abductor pulled her backwards.

Then he spun her around, and Olivia was face to face with Brett Chamberlain.

* * *

He didn't know how long he'd been sitting there on the floor.

It had to have been at least an hour since they'd arrived at the hospital, but even though it was almost four in the morning and he was exhausted, Nolan couldn't sleep. He remained in his spot against the wall, knees to his chest, and stared at the linoleum floors. His head hurt, partially from his tiredness but also because his mind had been buzzing since yesterday. He'd cried for a while, but he didn't think he could anymore – his eyes were dry, and they hurt like Hell. Every once in a while a nurse or doctor would walk past him, but they didn't pay any attention to him – surely they saw distraught loved ones waiting for news on their friends and family members every day, so this display of emotion wasn't anything new.

He didn't know what he was going to say to Hailey – how could he even begin to explain this to her? And as for Olivia…Nolan didn't know where they stood. When he'd confronted her with Hailey's birth certificate at Louise's party, she'd begged him to let her explain, but he'd told her he hadn't wanted to hear it. Maybe he was being cold, but who could blame him really – she'd lied to him. She'd kept his daughter from him for almost twenty years. No matter what her motives, what she'd done to him had been wrong, and he was angry at her right now…

"Nolan?"

He kept his eyes trained firmly on the floor when he heard his name called. "Go away." He muttered through clenched tear.

Amanda, however, would not take no for an answer. She took Jack's arm and the two of them walked over to their friend. "We've been looking everywhere for you." Jack told him. "Spencer woke up."

Nolan tried to force a smile – while he was glad to hear that his employee would pull through, he couldn't manage to. "I'll visit him in the morning, he probably needs his sleep…"

"Technically it is morning," Amanda said sardonically, but when she looked at Nolan she saw that he hadn't lightened up at all with this news about Spencer. She exchanged a look with Jack and they both immediately lowered themselves onto the floor, she on Nolan's left and Jack on his right. "Something's bothering you."

Nolan shook his head. "No, it's nothing…"

"It wasn't a question," Jack cut him off. He clamped a hand on Nolan's shoulder. "Nolan, what is it?"

Their friend finally looked up, and his expression made it seem like he was not fully…present. Like his mind was in another place far away from that moment. "Hailey's mine," He said, his voice barely above a whisper.

The married couple gave him a quizzical look. "What?" They both gasped.

Nolan turned his head, meeting Amanda's worried gaze. "She's my daughter," He clarified, voice hoarse, and Amanda's eyes widened in shock. The former looked over at Jack, finding his jaw slacked in similar disbelief. "The timeline fits. I'm her…father…"

"No," Amanda interjected stubbornly. "That…that can't be true! Maybe…maybe Olivia slept with someone else while you were together – it was a drunken mistake and she got pregnant, that's why she broke up with you…"

Nolan laughed bitterly. "No, I know it's true. I confronted Olivia, and she didn't deny any of it…She lied to me."

Next to him, Jack shook his head and looked at the floor. He'd thought that he'd been shocked when Emily had shown up at The Stowaway heavily pregnant with Carl and told him about his impending fatherhood, but at least she hadn't waited until his son was nineteen years old to drop the bombshell… "Does," He started to say. "Does Hailey…?"

"No," Nolan answered firmly, his head immediately whipping around to look at him. "And you guys can't say _anything_ to her about this, alright? I don't know how she'll take this but…she has to hear it from me. No one else, got it?" They both nodded in agreement.

"Well," Amanda said, clearly still a little stunned from this reveal. "Is there anything we can do?"

With a sigh, Nolan dug into his jacket pocket, and he pulled out the folded up piece of paper. "Can you take Hailey's birth certificate?" He asked. "I just keep looking at it and driving myself crazy…" Amanda nodded in agreement, and placed it in her purse.

"Do you want to go find Hailey?" Jack asked. "We can be with you when you tell her, if you want…"

"No, that's okay." Nolan said, rising to his feet. Amanda and Jack both followed suit.

"Okay, we'll take you home then." Amanda offered. "It's late, and you shouldn't be driving like this."

The tech genius waved her off. "I just want to be alone, if that's okay." His friends looked at each other, and Jack sighed begrudgingly.

"Alright – but if you need anything at all, you know how to reach us."

Nolan smiled feebly. "Thanks, guys." He said. "I...I don't know what I'd do without you." The couple watched as he retreated down the hallway, and then eventually disappeared from view.

Once he was gone, the two of them looked at each other. "Let's just get it over with," Jack said gruffly, and Amanda dug into her purse for her phone. She dialed the number she'd been given, and lifted the phone to her ear.

"Mason? We're ready whenever you are."

* * *

Hospital cafeterias had a very distinctive smell – it was a pungent mixture of bad food and antiseptic, with just a hint of air freshener that didn't help to alleviate the stench. The speakers were playing some boring elevator music, and it was starting to all give Drew a headache. He stirred his overpriced cup of coffee, which was not nearly strong enough for his liking – it tasted like mostly water. Across the table from him, Charlotte looked up, having been silent since they sat down. "I can't do this, Drew."

He met her eyes, and dropped his stirrer. "Okay…do you want to go somewhere else?"

"That's not what I meant. I meant I can't do…" With a sigh, Charlotte gestured to herself. "This. I can't…I can't keep falling off the wagon again, Drew. I'm so sick of saying that I'm finally going to do it right this time and then making the exact same mistakes."

Drew leaned forward and took her hand. "Okay, then something needs to change."

Charlotte looked down at the tabletop. "Every time I started using drugs again, it would be the same thing all over again – I'd hit what I thought was rock bottom and I'd swear I was done for good, but I'd just go off to some cushiony rich kid rehab where everyone sings songs and lies to their psychiatrists and I wouldn't get to the heart of the issue. Maybe…maybe I had to lose everything for this to finally stick."

Drew ran his finger across the back of her hand. "Well, not everything."

She glanced up, and smiled hesitantly. "I want to change. But I can't do it by myself. I tried before and…it got me nowhere."

With a slight smile, Drew stood up. "You won't have to." He said, before extending his hand to her. "You ready?"

* * *

Louise jolted awake in the front seat of her car, and for a moment she forgot where she was. Getting her bearings, the memory flooded back – she'd gone out to her car to retrieve her phone, which she'd left charging, and somehow she'd fallen asleep. She touched her aching forehead, worried she'd left an imprint from the steering wheel, but luckily she found none.

Unplugging her phone, she checked to see if she had any messages from Nolan, but there weren't any. She dialed his number, but it went straight to voicemail – she didn't think much of it, however. They'd been up for hours and hours, so he probably went to bed.

Louise pushed open the door and stepped out into the pitch black night. She could barely see two feet in front of her as she made her way back to the hospital entrance – everything looked like shadows, outlines of shapes instead of clear figures. But as she crossed the parking lot, she heard something strange – the sound of her heels on the pavement would be followed by another, different pair of shoes walking at a similar pace.

She stopped, waiting to see if she would hear the strange footsteps continue, but they stopped when hers stopped. Louise looked over her shoulder, eyebrow raised in confusion, but she saw nothing – no one else was there.

She turned and kept walking, instinctively reaching to clench the can of pepper spray in her purse. As she continued through the lot, she heard it again – the sound of footsteps, perfectly in time with her own.

Once again, Louise spun around. "Is anyone there?" She called out, her finger poised on the pepper spray nozzle, but no one was there. She looked around and she swore she saw a shadow slip behind a car…

Was someone following her?

Louise shook her head. It was dark, and she was exhausted – it had to all be in her head. Right?

* * *

Brett Chamberlain's hand was clamped over Olivia's mouth as he weaved her through the hallway, away from Spencer's hospital room. Olivia squirmed, but he was grabbing both her arms as he led her forward. Chamberlain pushed open a door, and Olivia's eyes widened as she found herself being shoved into a back alley. _Oh my God, I'm gonna die_. She thought. _He's going to kill me, right here right now_.

Olivia shut her eyes as she was pressed against a brick wall, Chamberlain closing the distance between their bodies. She was waiting for the moment – the feeling of a gun pressed against her temple, or hands wrapped around her neck, but it didn't come. "I'm going to take my hand off your mouth now," Chamberlain whispered to her. "But don't scream okay? I just want to talk to you." Olivia nodded slowly, and Chamberlain moved his hand off her mouth.

Olivia took in a deep breath and yelled with all her might. "Someone help –" But before she could finish her plea, Chamberlain slapped his hand over her mouth again, firmer this time.

"I told you not to scream! Why did you have to scream?" Chamberlain moved closer to her, and Olivia pressed her body up against the wall, flinching away from him. Chamberlain's eyes widened. "You're afraid of me, Liv?"

Olivia didn't say anything – not like she could any way – but she looked away, staring at the dirty ground, unable to meet Chamberlain's eyes. Yes, of course she was afraid of him! He'd just shot Spencer in cold blood, and he'd probably killed McKenzie too!

Slowly, Chamberlain removed his hand from Olivia's mouth and stepped back. This time, Olivia didn't yell – she didn't want to make him angry again. "Look Liv," He said, his voice hushed. "I came here to tell you the truth. I…I didn't kill McKenzie. I'm being framed."

"Why should I believe you?" Olivia spat automatically, not even thinking. Her blood boiled with anger – he'd shot Spencer, for Christ's sake! "You nearly killed my daughter's best friend tonight, Brett! You're…you're despicable!"

Chamberlain looked down. It was almost like he was ashamed. "I know. But I panicked okay? I didn't know what else to do…" He glanced both ways, before walking towards Olivia again. He grabbed her wrist, and she flinched. "I'm not going to lie, I did horrible things Olivia. The Liberators told me that I had to set you up, that they were planning something and I had to make you look guilty. I never thought that I would actually fall for you, until I did. It wasn't all a lie between us, Olivia. But it was too late."

"Too late?" She hissed. "Brett, you kidnapped me! You dumped me in that warehouse and left me for the FBI to find! You tricked me into writing down your password so McKenzie could make me look guilty! You wanted this to happen!"

"I had no choice!" Chamberlain said, his temper flaring again. "When I dumped you I didn't take your phone so you could call for help – I wanted Nolan to find you in time, I really did! And who do you think pulled Hailey and Charlotte Clarke out of Goldberg & Kendrick right as it went up in flames, huh? I risked my life to make sure they made it out!" At this, Olivia's jaw slacked. Nolan had said that Hailey and Charlotte had been pulled out of the office by someone, but neither of the girls remembered what happened, their memories of the explosion hazy. And Charlotte had told them that she'd seen Chamberlain the day the bomb went off, which is how they'd known he was behind her arrest in the first place…

But she'd never considered that he'd come there with the intention of saving them.

Chamberlain shook his head and ran his fingers through his hair. "But now everything's gone to Hell. You're out of prison, McKenzie's dead – they killed him, Olivia. I know they did. They lured me to the motel last night so I would be the one there when Spencer found the body. They're pissed because I couldn't keep you in prison and now they're trying to send me there!"

"But…but why?" Olivia stammered. "Why would the Liberators kill McKenzie? What did he do?"

"He threw the case, Liv. He let you walk free, and that's not what they want. And they killed Lucas Barlow and made it look like a suicide because he had second thoughts about the scheme! They've wanted you in jail from the beginning Olivia, before we were ever involved – I don't know why. It wasn't my decision, it was a choice made by people far above me." Chamberlain let out a sick little laugh. "I only joined in the first place because they threatened me. They threatened _Sonya_. They told me if I didn't start laundering money for them, then they'd kill her. Rip her limb from limb and make me watch. I had no choice, and now I'm stuck – I can't get out! Everywhere I go, I don't know if they're watching me. Do you realize what a risk I'm taking right now just talking to you? If they found out…" He shook his head. "They'd kill me. And they'd kill Sonya, and Hell they might even kill you too. These people blew up that building full of innocent civilians just to get back at one lawyer who dared to try one of their members. They will kill me slowly Olivia, and they will enjoy it. They feed on death and fear and misery and revenge. It's all they know."

Olivia looked down at the ground, her body shaking. "I…I…" She couldn't find any words – her throat felt like it was closing up. This was too much to process all at once – so these people were after her then? She'd never done anything to them! Why could they possibly want revenge on her?

"Look, I can't stay." Chamberlain whispered, interrupting her frantic thoughts. "If they know I'm here, then I don't have much time left. But I knew I had to warn you." He trailed off, silent for a moment. "Be careful Olivia. I just…I couldn't live with myself if I hurt you even more. And tell your friend I'm sorry."

Olivia's head snapped up. "Brett –" She started to say, but she was too late. He was already gone.

* * *

As the seconds slowly ticked by, Jack checked the time again. "It's four am. He's not coming."

From where she was sitting, her purse tucked on her lap, Amanda stifled a yawn. "He is. You know Mason – he's like a vulture, he won't pass up this opportunity."

Her husband spun around to face her and ran a hand through his hair nervously. "Maybe we shouldn't do this. This feels wrong…"

With a sigh, Amanda stood up, depositing her bag on the adjacent chair, and walked towards him. She placed a hand on his cheek. "This is our best option, okay? Trust me." After a moment's hesitation, Jack nodded feebly.

"Hello, hello again."

The two turned around, spotting a smirking Mason walking towards them. Even though it was very early in the morning, he looked wide awake, his pastel suit perfectly neat and tidy. The man smiled cheekily. "I hear you have something for me?"

Amanda huffed, and walked over to retrieve the manila envelope from where it was tucked behind her bag. She extended it to Mason. "You wanted dirt on Nolan? Well here it is – this is how Nolan Ross really amassed his wealth."

Mason grabbed the envelope and eagerly ripped it open, like a child with his presents on Christmas morning. As he scanned the contents, he was unable to hide his gleeful smile. "Well, I have to say, I'm surprised – I thought it would take a lot more for you two to turn on your pal. But luckily it seems I can tell my friend Roger that his services are no longer needed."

Jack stepped forward. "You got what you wanted, Mason. Now leave us alone."

Mason opened his mouth, but before he could speak they were cut off. "Amanda? Jack?" They all turned, spotting Hailey as she approached – the young girl looked confused when she saw Mason with them. "Umm...the cops finally left. So if you want to go see Spencer, now would be a good time." The couple nodded, and started to walk away.

Amanda paused, and looked at Mason over her shoulder. "Go home, Mason. We're done here." The writer smirked, watching as she turned to go.

As they started off down the hall, Jack took Amanda's arm and pulled her closer to him. "Are you sure he won't realize it's fake?"

Amanda waved off his concern. "You know how Mason is – you think he'll even bother to check? It's not exactly like he has a record for writing about the facts. And if he dares to publish a word of those lies, he'll be hit with lawsuits left and right, his career will be over, and he'll have no choice but to run off and be fake dead again."

Jack nodded, but there was still this nagging feeling in the back of his mind that this plan would not end well. "Yeah, I guess you're right…"

Meanwhile, Hailey remained frozen in place, her head cocked to the side as she examined Mason. "You're Mason Treadwell, aren't you?"

He smiled. "In the flesh, darling."

"I had to read your book on David Clarke for one of my freshman year classes." Hailey elaborated, before adding: "It was the biggest pile of crap I've ever seen."

Mason chuckled. "Always nice to meet a fan. You must be Hailey Anderson, correct?"

The girl was silent, her arms crossed over her chest as she gave Mason a pointed stare – her eyes were a fierce, icy blue. "Look, I don't know what you think you're doing harassing my friends, but you need to go. You've given them enough Hell for one lifetime."

He raised his hands in surrender. "Oh don't worry my dear, it's just business." Hailey rolled her eyes at his words, before turning on her heel and stomping back to Spencer's room.

Once she was gone, Mason looked down at the papers in his hands again. He had to admit, this wasn't what he was expecting – he hadn't come here to oust Nolan Ross's financial history. No, he'd had something completely different in mind. He'd heard the whispers about him and Olivia Anderson, how they'd supposedly kissed in the court room – and when he'd found out that they'd overlapped at MIT, many of their former classmates had been more than willing to come forward with details about the… _intimate_ relationship they had once shared. The public loved a scandalous love affair, especially when it concerned a beloved former tech guru and the most hated woman in America. He'd been hoping that the information given to him would shed some light on that situation…

But – contrary to what the Porters might've thought – Mason wasn't stupid. He had been expecting Amanda Clarke and her husband to put up a much bigger fight when he had asked for the dish on their best friend, even with the thinly veiled threat he'd presented against their precious boy. It was almost…too easy. And Mason knew these people – there was always something up their sleeve. He knew because he was the same.

He glanced around, pondering his next move, when his gaze caught something – Amanda Clarke's purse, sitting unguarded on one of the waiting room chairs. A sick smile spread across Mason's face as he walked over and began to dig through its contents.

He rifled through the bag, examining what was inside – the passcode on the phone would be easy enough to crack. He flipped through her planner, examining the notes she'd scrawled about her friend's cases and his daily schedule. But then, he saw something – a folded up piece of paper wedged between her wallet and the side of the purse. Mason grabbed it and scanned the words on the page, unable to contain his glee as the gears in his brain turned.

 _Hailey Marie Anderson_

 _Born September 22, 1997; Fall River, Massachusetts_

1997\. Oh, how interesting. Mason thought back to the girl who had been standing before him moments ago, the pair of bright blue eyes that looked back at his…

He grinned and shook his head, shoving the birth certificate into his pocket. "It seems everything's coming up Mason…"

* * *

 _Did you ever play with dominoes as a kid? I used to line them up in complicated patterns, convoluted shapes, and watch as they all fell, one by one._

"Nolan?"

The man's eyes flew open as he heard a familiar voice call out for him – the very person he had been thinking about nonstop since yesterday. He sat upright, suddenly alert as Hailey walked over towards him, and Nolan gulped. "…Hey." He said, trying to sound nonchalant.

With a sigh, Hailey lowered herself onto the floor next to him, her feet tucked under her body. "Spencer fell back asleep." She said. "I'm glad that he's okay, I was worried…"

Nolan nodded. "Me too…" He looked at Hailey, who was leaning up against the wall, casually examining her fingernails. She had no idea the seriousness of what he was about to tell her, and he didn't know where to begin…

 _The paths we take have consequences. Each step affects our next move._

"Hailey," Nolan began hesitantly, and the girl looked up, blue eyes meeting blue eyes. "Do you remember, when you asked me to help you find your father…"

Hailey frowned. "And I'm thankful for everything you did to help me, I am. But…" She trailed off. "Now I'm not so sure if that was the right decision."

At her words, Nolan's heart sank. "What do you mean?"

 _And the paths of others affect us too as our journeys intricately weave together in this game of life._

"My father's gone, Nolan." She sighed. "For almost twenty years, he's wanted nothing to do with me. The way I see it, he's had his chance. And I've gotten along just fine without him. I don't need him in my life." Nolan clenched his jaw, looking at the ground, and Hailey touched his shoulder, sensing the shift in his mood. "I know this is what I want. I have my mom – and I have people in my life like you and all our friends. I don't want anything to change. Are you mad at me?"

 _When we collide, there's no stopping it. Just like with the dominoes, everything falls down. And we can only watch knowing we caused it._

Nolan looked up and forced a smile. "Not at all. I…I completely understand."


	7. Unusual Suspects

**A/N** : So there's a four week time jump from last chapter to this one. Sorry this chapter isn't as long as the others - the next several chapters aren't super long but they're all over 4,000 words (more if I decided to add anything to them). Chapter 12 (the last one) is going to be almost 8,000 though.

Also I hope you would all be interested in this series continuing - because the way this story ends is basically the same as the first. There will be some resolution to the current story, but also new questions which will propel us into another installment. (Part of me kind of wants to make this into a five part series because it's one up from _Revenge_ 's four seasons but I'm totally getting ahead of myself. One step at a time.) Anyways, enjoy this chapter and remember reviews are everything!

 **Disclaimer** : I don't own _Revenge_.

* * *

 **March 17, 2017 3:03 p.m.**

 **Long Island, New York**

 _We all have people whom we trust. People who we think we know._

As Drew stood outside the doors to New Horizon Treatment Center, there was a knot of anxiety forming in his stomach. He checked his watch, only to see that it had only been one minute since he last checked. When he looked up again, he sighed in relief as he saw the figure making its way towards him.

"Oh thank God," Drew mumbled under his breath, before taking several long strides forward to reach Charlotte. The girl smiled, dropping her bag by their feet so that she could wrap both her arms around his neck in a hug.

"Hi," Charlotte sighed contently, taking a deep breath as they embraced each other. "Oh my God, I'm so glad to see you. I thought four weeks in there alone might drive me crazy."

Drew pulled away and picked her bag off the ground, but he kept his arm wrapped around Charlotte's waist as they walked towards his car. "I'm not gonna lie, I missed you like Hell. But how did it go?"

"It actually went…well." Charlotte said, meeting his eyes. "It was hard – no frills, no luxury. But for the first time, I didn't just tell them…what they wanted to hear. I told them the truth. And I actually felt…like someone understood why I always felt the need to do things like that. Like _I_ actually understood why I always felt the need to do things like that. I thought I had to do it so people would see me. But now I don't have to anymore."

 _There are people whom we'd never expect to betray us._

Drew smiled as they reached his car, and he opened the door for her. "Well, I guess this means you can finally put that part of your past behind you."

As they both got settled in the car, Charlotte turned to him again, eyes wide. "Do you have my phone? Oh my God, I almost died in there having to use a payphone. I missed my cell." With a low chuckle, Drew reached into the cup holder and extended her iPhone to her. Charlotte literally squealed as she took it, typing in her passcode eagerly. "Oh Twitter, how much I've missed you!"

 _But that is exactly what betrayal is – it is a loss of trust, a disillusionment. It is a knife to the back that you did not see coming._

Drew shook his head and smiled as she watched her happily scroll through her feed, unable to contain her grin as the glow from the screen reflected in her eyes. "Well, since you're finally back, we're going to celebrate. Louise is throwing a homecoming party – she says it's to make up for the horrible Valentine's Day. Hopefully the cops won't come this time, right?"

Charlotte didn't give an answer – suddenly she lurched forward in her seat, her gleeful expression turning into one of confusion and then disgust. "Drew," She said, extending her phone to him. "Did you see this?"

 _It hurts a million times worse when the crushing blow comes from someone who you thought was your friend._

* * *

"We interrupt this program with a special news bulletin."

The gang all froze when they heard the blaring of the Action News music from the flat screen in Louise's living room. They'd all gathered at Ellis Manor to help set up for Charlotte's welcome home party, while the hostess ran about town organizing last minute preparations. Nolan looked up from filling the coolers with ice, while Olivia stopped mid-pouring chips into bowls. Hailey and Spencer were standing on chairs, pinning up a welcome home banner in the foyer, while Amanda and Jack were both on the couch folding napkins. Wordlessly, they all dropped what they were doing and congregated in front of the TV, everyone's eyes firmly trained on the screen which was now filled with a picture of Brett Chamberlain's face.

The news anchor looked into the camera with a neutral expression. "We have breaking news out of Long Island at this hour. After four weeks on the run, Wall Street CEO Brett Chamberlain – who is wanted for the murder of federal prosecutor Richard McKenzie and the attempted murder of another individual, whose name has not been released at this time – has been apprehended. Mr. Chamberlain was found hiding out at a motel in upstate New York, under an alias. It was there that police arrested him in the early hours of this morning. More details to come tonight on Action News at six…"

Nolan picked up the remote and flicked the TV off. "Well, that's the end of that." The others nodded in silent agreement, and Hailey placed a hand on Spencer's back.

"At least they finally caught him," The latter said, and Hailey rubbed his shoulder comfortingly.

Keeping her head down, Olivia got up and walked back into the kitchen. She didn't say anything as she got back to work, but in her mind she couldn't help but think about what Chamberlain had said to her that day at the hospital…

If the roles were reversed, could she honestly say that she wouldn't have done the same thing if those people had come to her and threatened her daughter?

As everyone got back up and went back to their duties, Nolan pulled out his phone. He was intending to text Louise the good news, when suddenly a notification popped up that caught him off guard.

 _Mason Treadwell releases first preview of his new tell-all book – and it's all about Nolan Ross!_

Nolan's stomach dropped. "Hey," He called out to his friends. "Have any of you read Mason Treadwell's book preview?" He didn't see it, but at his words Amanda and Jack exchanged a wary look.

As Nolan read the preview, his horror only grew. It seemed that every sentence revealed more intimate details about his life – his schedule, the details of his cases, snippets from his private text and email conversations, interviews with people who he'd used to know. But it was the last sentence that chilled him to the bone: _And while this former Clarke sidekick may be turning over a new leaf, his family tree holds an interesting tie to the past…Stay tuned, folks._

These were all things that Mason shouldn't have known – that he _couldn't_ have known. A sinking realization hit Nolan.

He couldn't have known – that was, unless someone had told him.

* * *

As Louise walked down Southampton's main drag, she went through her pre-party checklist in her head. The caterer was lined up, they had drinks and decorations, she'd just gotten her dress from the dry cleaner…It seemed like they were ready to go.

She threw her garment bag over her shoulder so that she could pull her phone from her purse to text Nolan. She turned off the main road, starting to walk down an alley towards where she'd parked her car, when she heard something.

In addition to the pitter patter of her high heels, there was the sound of another, different pair of steps, perfectly in sync with hers.

Louise froze and looked over her shoulder, but saw no one – though she swore she spotted a shadow, disappearing around a corner.

Panic rising in her, Louise quickened her pace, only to hear the second pair of footsteps speed up as well. She practically broke into a sprint – as fast as she could in her heels anyway – until she reached her car. Tossing everything unceremoniously into the backseat, she climbed into the driver's seat and sped off.

As she pulled away, Louise glanced in her rearview mirror and that's when she caught sight of him – an unknown man, mid-thirties, muscular, close cropped blonde hair, angular jaw. And he was looking right at her.

There was no doubt in her mind – that night at the hospital wasn't all in her head. He'd been following her then, and he was following her now.

But why?

* * *

As Amanda and Jack walked into the beach house, neither of them said anything – both of them were preoccupied with the same thoughts whirling through their brains.

Carl perked up when he saw his father and stepmother return. "Hi Daddy! Hi Mommy!"

Jack gave him a weak attempt at a smile. "Hey, buddy. Did you have a fun afternoon?"

Gigi – the high school student who lived down the beach and was Carl's usual babysitter – got up from her seat on the couch and picked up her books. "I wasn't expecting the two of you back quite so soon." She walked over with a cheerful smile and stood next to Jack, their arms inches apart.

Amanda resisted the urge to scowl. "Yeah well, we finished early. You can go now Gigi, thank you." In truth, she wasn't Gigi's biggest fan – she put up with her because Carl liked it when she watched him, but it was obvious to her that the girl had a _massive_ crush on Jack. Of course her husband was completely oblivious to it, but regardless Amanda didn't like an eighteen year old with dimples and a pushup bra batting her eyelashes at him.

"You know Mr. Porter," She was saying, twirling a lock of bottle blonde hair around her finger. "I have to say, I love that shirt on you. Is it new? It really brings out your beautiful blue eyes."

Jack gave her a look, clearly a little taken aback but still clueless. "Umm…thanks Gigi?" The young girl only smiled before waving goodbye to Carl and then heading for the door, "accidentally" brushing Jack's arm on her way out.

As soon as she heard the door slam shut, Amanda let out a groan she'd been holding in since they arrived. "Oh my God."

"What?" Jack asked, and Amanda rolled her eyes.

"Jack, she's flirting with you! She flirts with you every time we see her, even though I'm right there. It's so annoying."

Jack raised an eyebrow at her. "Are you jealous?" Amanda looked away, clearly avoiding the question, and he laughed. "Oh come on Amanda – she's in high school, she's a baby. I mean, her name is _Gigi_ for God's sake! She can hit on me all she wants but it'll get her nowhere. You're the only woman I notice." He leaned in to kiss her and Amanda relented – he was right, of course. But she'd definitely be giving Gigi a stern talking to the next time she saw her…

"Anyways," She said, pulling away after a moment. "We have bigger pains in the –" She glanced at Carl. "– A-S-S to discuss. Like Mason Treadwell."

"How did he even find out that stuff about Nolan anyway? None of it was in the envelope we gave him!"

"I don't –" Amanda started to say, but then she cut herself off, her eyes going wide. "Wait a minute. Jack, where's the purse I was carrying the night of Louise's Valentine's Day party?"

"In our closet, why?" Without answering, Amanda brushed past him and raced up the stairs, taking them two at a time. "Amanda?" Jack called out after her, thoroughly confused, only to receive no answer. After casting a quick glance at Carl to make sure he was fine for the time being, Jack went up after her.

When he reached their closet he found Amanda sitting on the floor, rummaging through the bag she'd had with her on Valentine's Day. "That night at Louise's," She explained to Jack. "I brought the same purse I'd brought to the office that morning, and I didn't have time to switch out the contents. I had my work phone in here, my day planner…When we went to see Spencer, I left it behind in the waiting room. Mason probably snooped through everything."

"Okay…" Jack said. "So he wrote about Nolan's business and his daily routine – who cares?"

Amanda looked at him. "You don't get it, do you? Jack, that night at the hospital, Nolan gave me Hailey's birth certificate. And it's not here!"

At this, her husband froze. "Well…are you sure you didn't just misplace it?"

"No," Amanda said, shaking her head. "I meant to put it in my hiding spot in the floorboards, but I forgot. I haven't touched it since Nolan gave it to me, which means…" She trailed off. _Which means Mason stole it_.

Jack lowered himself onto the floor next to her. "Even if Mason has Hailey's birth certificate, that doesn't mean he knows that Nolan is her father."

"Of course he knows," Amanda sighed, on the verge of tears by this point. "He's been digging around Nolan and Olivia's history, he probably put the timeline together and realized the truth. God, this is all my fault. Why did I leave my purse behind? I don't make careless mistakes like this Jack…"

"Hey, look at me." Her husband said, placing his hands on the sides of her face. She met his eyes, her own filled with tears. "It was an accident, okay? And with a vulture like Mason circling, this probably would've gotten out eventually anyway…You can't blame yourself Amanda. You didn't want Nolan to get hurt. You were trying to protect him."

"Look," His wife said. "We have to fix this. Because when Mason releases the rest of his Nolan chapter…He's going to tell the world that Nolan is Hailey's dad."

Jack nodded. "So we're going to have to get to Nolan before he does."

* * *

"Hey, can I talk to you?"

Olivia paused, her hand on the Ellis Manor doorknob, when she heard Nolan call her name. When she turned back around, she saw him walking towards her, his expression hard to read. The truth was, they hadn't spoken more than two words to each other since he'd confronted her about Hailey's paternity on Valentine's Day, so she was a little more than surprised that he was initiating a conversation. "Sure," She said. "Talk."

With a sigh, Nolan held up his phone screen and she caught a glimpse of a headline: _Mason Treadwell releases first preview of his new tell-all book – and it's all about Nolan Ross!_ "Did you talk to Mason about me?"

Olivia's eyes went wide at the accusation. "What? No! Why would I talk to Mason Treadwell about you? I don't even know him!"

"Maybe because you're the only person who had a reason to go behind my back."

"What? Are you serious right now? Nolan, why would I have told Mason Treadwell stuff about your business?"

"Maybe because you're angry with me?"

"I'm not angry with you! You're the one who's angry with me!"

"Well after all those lies, I guess I just can't help but wonder if you're lying to me now right?"

The two of them stared at each other for a moment, both of them hot with anger. Finally, Olivia sighed. "Look Nolan, I know you have every reason to hate me right now, and I've been trying to give you space because I feel _terrible_ …but I didn't tell Mason anything about you. Please, you have to believe me."

After a moment, Nolan looked away. "You're right." He gave in. "I'm sorry."

Olivia relaxed a little bit. "It's okay, I deserved it…What did Mason say about you?"

"Not that much, it's only a preview. But he had some of my personal messages, case files, documents…It's almost like…like he hacked into the office iCloud."

Olivia gave him a look. "Writer, bon mot tosser, and aspiring hacker? Does Mason even know how to turn on a computer?"

Nolan shrugged. "But the only other explanation is…that someone gave him access."

"Someone like who?"

"I don't know…" He sighed. "Liv I'm just…I'm really scared. What if Mason…found out about Hailey somehow? In his excerpt, he made a passing reference to my family tree. What if he knows that I'm her…you know?"

Olivia look at him for a moment in silent contemplation. "Well who has access to all that information besides you? Louise?"

Nolan shook his head. "No – most of the conversations Mason published didn't involve her, and she has no idea about Hailey."

"Charlotte? Spencer? Drew?"

"Same for all of them."

"What about Hailey?"

Nolan scoffed. "Please – I haven't even told her the truth yet. There's no way she could've possibly tipped off Treadwell."

Olivia frowned, knowing there was only one possibility left. "Nolan, is there any possibility that Amanda and Jack –"

Nolan looked up at her, and firmly cut her off mid-sentence. "No." He said decisively. "There is no way. Amanda and Jack are my best friends – they'd never do this to me."

* * *

"Hey, you."

Hailey smiled as Spencer greeted her at the door, before stepping inside his condo. "Well?" She said, gesturing to the little gold cocktail dress she wore. "You like?"

Spencer grinned. "I love. Come on, make yourself at home." She walked inside Spencer's house, while he went back into the kitchen. "Do you want a drink before the party?"

"I'm good, thanks." Hailey said, waving him off. "How are you feeling?"

Spencer rolled his eyes at her playfully. "Hailey, I'm fine. Just like I said I was the first dozen times you asked. The doctor said I'm healing perfectly."

Hailey smiled and closed the distance between them, touching his arm. "I just worry about you, that's all."

They were interrupted by a knock at the door, and Hailey could not contain her excitement. Practically squealing, she raced over to answer and threw her arms around Charlotte's neck before she could even say 'hello'. "Oh, Charlie! I missed you so much!"

Charlotte laughed and reciprocated the hug, casting a glance at Drew over her shoulder. "I missed you too, Hailes."

The two friends pulled apart and Hailey led the other duo inside. "Come in, come in! We have so much catching up to do!"

Spencer watched with a smile for a moment as the two girls chatted excitedly, happy to be reunited, but then he was distracted by a ping from his phone. When he looked, a news banner ran across the top.

 _EXCLUSIVE: Mason Treadwell's FULL Nolan Ross chapter released – and he's spilling a MAJOR paternity bombshell!_

Curiosity and confusion overcoming him, Spencer clicked it and began to read. As he absorbed the full meaning of the words in front of him, his eyes went wide with shock. Without realizing it the glass he was holding fell from his hands, and shattered on the floor.

At the sound the other three all looked at him, all wondering what had him so perturbed. "Spence?" Drew asked cautiously. "Are you alright?

"I…" Spencer stammered, at a loss for words. "I umm…"

"Are you in pain?" Hailey asked, turning her attention away from Charlotte and Drew to walk back over to him. When she reached him, she noticed the phone clenched in his other hand. "Spencer?"

When he said nothing, his eyes still locked on the screen, she ripped the cell from his grasp. "Hailey, no –" He started to say, but it was too late – Spencer could only watch as she read the same sentence which had taken his breath away moments earlier. He saw the look in her eyes turn from confusion to shock, her mouth falling open. "Hailey…"

Without a word, she slammed the phone down on the table and stormed off.

* * *

 _Every betrayal comes with an element of surprise._

On the surface, Charlotte's homecoming party seemed to be going perfectly well – as Louise examined the guests who were sprawled throughout her house, she saw nothing but content faces, laughing, talking, and taking food off the hors d'oeuvres trays. But internally, she felt so uneasy. The hand gripping her lemonade was shaking, causing the ice cubes to bounce off the sides of her glass. As she walked through the party, all Louise could think was one thing: that _he_ could be there right now. There were over a hundred people around – he could've easily snuck inside. Or worse, he could've sent someone else in to get her…

Louise froze in place when she saw something. There was a man standing with his back facing her – blonde hair short, appropriate height, muscular frame. She marched over before she realized what she was doing and grabbed him by the shoulder. "Hey!"

 _When you see a blow coming, you have time to deflect, and it hurts less._

The man spun around instantly and Louise's immediately realized her error – it wasn't him. And now some poor, random fellow was looking at her like she was crazy. She stepped back, her hand over her heart. "Oh my word. My apologies." Her cheeks feeling out from embarrassment, she brushed past him and his companions and walked in the other direction. Great, now they were probably going to tell everyone that socialite Louise Ellis was crazier than an outhouse rat…

She stopped at the bar to refill her drink and grabbed a passing caterer. "Excuse me sugar," She said, before promptly filling up a napkin with half of the bacon wrapped scallops on the tray. She patted him on the back. "Good work." The waiter only forced a smile before continuing to walk around the party, and Louise shoved some food into her mouth – was she losing her freaking mind?

 _But a true betrayal cannot be foreseen, because it comes from the person – or people – who you trust the most._

"Louise!"

She turned her head and immediately spotted a frantic looking Jack and Amanda Porter walking over to her. "Why, don't the two of you look so –"

"Not the time," Amanda interjected. "Have you seen Nolan?"

"Nolan?" Louise said. "I think he's at the table -" Amanda and Jack didn't even let her finish, brushing right past and heading off in the direction she'd indicated. Curiosity overcoming her, Louise deposited her snacks on the nearest table and followed.

"Nolan," Jack called out, spotting their friend at the table where Louise had said he'd be. Nolan looked up and when he saw his three friends approaching, he got to his feet.

"Hey," He said, giving them a half-smile. "What's going –"

"Nolan," Amanda said. "We need to talk to you right now. It's about Hailey."

"Hailey? What about Hailey?"

"Look," Jack began. "We don't know how to tell you this, so we're just going to come out and say it. Hailey –"

 _Everyone stays on their toes around their enemies. But when you believe you are among friends, you let your guard down._

They were suddenly cut off by the sound of applause as Charlotte, the woman of the hour, arrived with Drew on her arm. She could barely even acknowledge the gesture before Hailey shoved past, and everyone's attention immediately went to her. She was crying as she walked over determinedly, and Spencer was running after her – it wasn't exactly subtle. "Hailey! Stop!"

Olivia rushed over as soon as she saw her hysterical daughter, reaching Nolan and the group just as Hailey did, Spencer, Charlotte and Drew close behind. "Hailey, honey, what's going on?"

"Hailey," Spencer cautioned. "Please, don't -"

But Hailey ignored him. She looked Nolan dead in the eye, tears streaming down my face. "Are you my father?"

Behind her, Charlotte's eyes were as wide as saucers, while Drew was visibly shocked by this question. Louise's red lips formed a perfect little 'o', Spencer closed his eyes, and Olivia went pale. Amanda and Jack shared a look – they were too late.

Nolan gulped. Everyone was looking at him, taking in the very public confrontation with eager eyes. Hailey meanwhile was waiting for an answer, not breaking eye contact even though she was still crying. He sighed. "...Yes."

 _So when the blow comes it is extra painful._

There was a collective gasp around the room from those who had yet to read Mason Treadwell's chapter, while the rest remained engrossed in the scene before them. Hailey looked away, gasping for breath – the news was even more shocking coming out of Nolan's mouth. Until now, a part of her hadn't believed it was true. Spencer reached to touch her shoulder, but she shoved him off. "How long have you known?" She asked Nolan.

He looked down at the ground. "...Four weeks," He whispered.

By this point, Hailey's vision was blurry – partially from her sobbing, and partially from her sheer anger. Olivia stepped forward tentatively, her own eyes filled with tears by this point. "Hailey, I'm so sorry. I didn't want you to find out like this. If I could go back in time, I would've told you from the start…"

Hailey's head snapped up. "Twenty years. You lied to me about my father for almost _twenty years_?" Olivia shrunk back, the shame written all over her face, and Hailey turned to Nolan now. "And you! You lied to me too?"

"Hailey," Nolan began, shaking his head. "I...I didn't know how you'd take it…" He stepped forward but Hailey pulled back, so he couldn't touch her.

"Were you ever going to tell me?"

"I was -"

"When?!"

Nolan couldn't meet her eyes. "I...I don't know."

 _Bullets, stab wounds, broken hearts – they are all temporary. But the pain of knowing someone you loved betrayed you…_

Hailey laughed in disgust. "You know what?" She said, looking at Nolan and then Olivia. "Both of you just stay away from me, alright? I don't want anything to do with either of you. As far as I'm concerned..." She shook her head. "I don't have parents anymore." Before anyone could stop her, she shoved past Spencer and stormed out.

… _and that the trust that once existed between you is broken, possibly forever…_

Everyone stood in stunned silence – Olivia was bawling by this point, and Nolan was in shock. Amanda mumbled his name, but when he turned to look at her there was anger in his eyes. "Did the two of you tell Mason?" He asked her and Jack, and the couple only stared at him, unsure of what to say. "Answer me!"

"Nolan…" Jack said. "It was an accident…"

Their friend scoffed. "I can't believe you…" He said, shaking his head and turning to go.

"Nolan, please –" Amanda said desperately, reaching out for him, but he didn't stop to hear them out. He just left.

… _I think that hurts most of all._

The remaining revengers could only stand there, all of them too stunned to say anything. Slowly, Louise lifted her glass to her lips. "Well," She said to herself. "Welcome back everyone…"


	8. Conflict Resolution

**A/N** : So, there's going to be a hiatus after the next chapter. But just a little itty bitty one, I swear! One to two weeks at most. And the end of the next chapter is going to make you freak out, I can already picture it in my mind. It's going to be amazing (at least, for me anyway).

Remember that I'm a very needy person who seeks validation from strangers on the Internet and if you post a review that is even just one word it will make me insanely happy.

 **Disclaimer** : _Revenge_ was an awesome TV show and it was not my awesome TV show.

* * *

 **March 20, 2017**

 **Brooklyn, New York**

 _In the aftermath of an explosive argument, it can be hard to find the right words to say._

"Are you sure this is the right place?"

As he and Amanda approached the apartment door marked 4A, Jack checked the address on his phone again. "Yup, this is it." Next to him, Amanda shifted from one foot to the other, while he lifted his hand to knock. Before he could the door flew open, and they were face to face with Olivia.

The woman deflated a little when she saw who it was at the door. "Sorry," She said. "I was just, hoping you might be Hailey…Come in."

The couple stepped inside the apartment, and they exchanged a look. "So you don't know where Hailey is either?" Amanda asked.

Olivia shook her head 'no' and dropped despondently onto the couch, pulling her knees to her chest. The interior was small, cramped and sparsely furnished, as was the norm for most New York City apartments. "I've tried calling her so many times, but she hasn't been answering her phone. It's been three days and she hasn't come home, or responded to any of my messages…And now the co-worker that's letting me stay here is saying I have to move out by the end of the week but I have nowhere else to go…I don't know what I'm going to do…"

 _A simple 'I'm sorry' may work for a little disagreement, but it cannot heal deep wounds._

Amanda and Jack both lowered themselves into the seats next to her. "Hailey probably just needed some time to cool off," Jack told her, trying to be optimistic. "She'll be back."

Olivia shook her head. "She's so angry with me, and I can't blame her. I should've been honest with her as soon as she told me she took an internship with Nolan." She looked up suddenly, a thought occurring to her. "Speaking of Nolan…have you guys heard from him?"

 _In fact there are times when there are no words that can fix the pain you've caused._

Amanda looked down at her lap in shame. "He hasn't been answering any of our calls either…"

"We tried going to his house," Jack explained. "But he wasn't home. No one has any idea where he went. He's gone completely off the grid…"

"He'll forgive you guys," Olivia insisted. "You're his best friends, he cares about both of you. As for me? I'm not so sure…"

 _There is a reason that forgiveness is a virtue._

"He thinks we betrayed him," Amanda interjected. "We were careless, and Mason found out his biggest secret. He's not going to let that go so easily…I wouldn't."

With a sigh, Olivia leaned back, her arms crossed over her chest. "I don't know if they'll forgive any of us for this."

 _Because forgiving someone isn't always easy._

* * *

Charlotte was surprised when she heard a knocking at her door that Monday morning. She wasn't expecting anyone, and had no idea who would be coming to visit her. "Coming," She called out, and when she answered the door she was pleasantly surprised. "Drew, hi. I wasn't expecting you. Come in."

Drew smiled sheepishly at her as he walked inside. "Sorry, should I have called first?"

"No, it's totally fine." Charlotte insisted. "Come on, we'll sit down."

The two of them got situated in the living room, Charlotte on the couch and Drew in the chair. "I just wanted to check up on you, see how you're doing."

She smiled. "I'm actually doing really well. I've been attending NA meetings every day…"

"That's good."

"And I've been using the relaxation techniques my therapist gave me," Charlotte paused, wrinkling her nose. "Is it weird that I'm twenty-two years old and I have my own therapist?"

Drew chuckled. "I'm just glad that you're doing okay." He could already see a visible difference between now and the last time he'd come to check up on her. She seemed much calmer, more at peace. "Okay, well, I'll talk to you later?" He rose to go, but Charlotte stopped him.

"Drew?" She called out, and he paused, turning back around to meet her eyes. "Would you have dinner with me? Tonight?"

Drew hesitated for a moment. Charlotte was waiting for his response, biting her lip, seeming suddenly nervous. Slowly, the corners of his lips turned up into a smile. "I'll pick you up at seven?"

* * *

The Ross & Associates office was dark as Louise made her way inside. She flicked on the light before walking towards her destination. Business had halted since the very public reveal of Hailey's paternity three days before, meaning she was the only one there – luckily, Nolan had given her a set of keys after he'd hired her, in case there was ever an emergency where she needed to get in when he wasn't around.

Louise entered Nolan's office, practically tiptoeing even though she knew she was alone. She spotted his work laptop in its usual perch on his desk, where it had remained untouched since the end of Olivia's trial. She was in luck. Careful not to disturb anything, she pulled out his desk chair and sat down, watching as the computer glowed to life. Once the home screen popped up, she was met with an unwelcome – but not unexpected – road block. Password required.

Louise drummed her fingernails against the tabletop, pondering what her friend might have set as his password. She tried the first thing that came to mind.

 _infinitytimesinfinity_

Access denied.

Louise deflated a little at the failure. "Okidoki," She mumbled to herself. "What else…" Absentmindedly, she glanced around the room, trying to see if anything would give her an idea. She knew Nolan well enough that he probably would've chosen a password that meant something to him. But what was it…?

Her eyes randomly landed on the folder on top of the neat stack on his desk. Inside he'd housed his notes on the trial, _Olivia_ being written neatly on the label in Nolan's scrawl. A light bulb went off in Louise's mind. She wracked her brain, thinking back to that story Nolan had told her way back on Memorial Day about how he'd met Olivia. It had been the day the David Clarke trial began, what day was that?

Pulling out her iPhone, she typed that very question into Google and got her answer. March 20, 1995. Ironically, twenty-two years ago exactly. It was almost like a sign. Turning back to Nolan's computer now, Louise typed it in.

 _032095_.

Access granted.

Unable to contain her smile, Louise stood up and put the now unlocked laptop in her bag.

* * *

"Do you want more coffee?"

Spencer walked out of the kitchen to the living room, where Hailey was currently sitting, wrapped in a blanket with her knees pulled up to her chest. "No thanks," She said, while Spencer situated himself at the other end of the couch. "I really appreciate you letting me stay here for the past few days."

"Don't mention it, you can stay here as long as you need."

Hailey looked at him, before placing her empty mug down on the coffee table and scooting over towards him. "Look I'm just…really glad you're here for me. I need someone like you in my life right now. Someone who's always honest with me."

Spencer didn't say anything for a moment, the two of them sitting there in comfortable silence. Hailey was so close to him, her arm touching his knee, and when Spencer glanced at her lips, all he could think was that he wanted to kiss them…

But just as Spencer started to lean in, Hailey turned her head away suddenly. "Mind if I take a shower?" She said, standing up and starting to make her way to the bathroom.

In defeat, Spencer collapsed back against the cushions. "Sure, go ahead."

* * *

It took everything in Olivia to force herself to leave the apartment.

All she wanted to do was curl up into a ball and cry. But she knew that this was her chance - she had to go now if she wanted to make it. So after making herself look as presentable as possible, she locked the door behind her and headed for the subway to Manhattan.

She'd expected it to be harder to get into, but she walked up the alley towards the back door just as someone walked out, talking loudly and angrily on their cell phone. Without being noticed, she grabbed the door before it fully closed and slipped inside. It was almost too easy.

People were walking back and forth, not even paying attention to her in their haste. There was lots of talking all at once, people giving directions over their Bluetooth, and then the sound of token applause from the adjacent stage. She found him easily - sitting back in his chair with his feet up, bowtie slightly askew, and when he saw her approaching his eyebrow immediately shot up. "Ms. Anderson," He said, dropping his feet and sitting upright in his chair. "What a pleasure it is to finally meet you."

He extended his hand for her to shake, but she simply glared until he dropped it. "Hello, Mason. I'd say it's nice to see you, but then I'd be lying."

Treadwell chuckled. "I heard that you were a feisty one. And may I say dear, you are even more enchanting in person than in photographs. No wonder you managed to get both Nolan Ross and Brett Chamberlain wrapped around your little finger."

Olivia scoffed - the way he said it, he made her sound like some kind of whoring seductress. "I didn't come here for you to insult me, Mason. I have a bone to pick with you."

He gave her a look. "Oh?"

She stepped closer to him, arms crossed. "Look, I don't care if you mess with me. I deserve it. I should've known that my secrets would blow up in my face sooner or later. But Hailey? And Nolan? They have done nothing wrong. They're innocent. You can do whatever you want to me but when it comes to my daughter and her father..." She shook her head. "You need to go out there and apologize for what you did to them. And if you know what's good for you you'll never talk to them again."

Mason was silent for a moment, and then he burst out laughing. "And tell me Ms. Anderson, why would I do that?"

"Because," Olivia said. "If you don't, mark my words, there will be consequences."

He shook his head and stood up, straightening out his bowtie. On the soundstage, the morning show host was beginning to read his introduction. "I'm not scared of you, Ms. Anderson. We both know who has the upper hand here. And that everything I wrote about Nolan Ross and your daughter was the truth." He started to brush past her, headed for the stage, but then paused and looked back. "I'll be headed for Nice tomorrow to get a head start on my next book. I was thinking I'd write it about you - The Society Connection: Part Two?" He smiled twistedly. "Perhaps I will make this meeting my first chapter. Lovely to meet you, my dear."

Olivia watched in silence as he walked out onto the stage, the crowd giving him forced applause as he greeted the show host with cheek kisses and sat down in his designated chair. Olivia stepped closer, so she could get a closer view from the wings. She shook her head. "Don't say I didn't warn you..."

"Now, Mr. Treadwell," The host was starting to say. "You recently published your latest tell-all book, exposing the dirtiest secrets of The Hamptons's socialites. Can you tell us about that?"

"Why of course, Jane." Mason said, still smiling. "You see, my career took off when I was writing about The Hamptons's most famous and...infamous. I knew there would be nothing more fitting than to re-start my career where it all began..."

But then suddenly, no one was paying attention to Mason anymore. They were all staring at the people in the back row of the audience who had all stood up at some point. People who they all recognized.

Because they were all socialites - who had been featured in Mason's book.

"Mason Treadwell is a thief!" One of them shouted. "And a life ruiner!"

"He blackmailed my lawyer to get information about my divorce settlement! Because of my non-disclosure agreement, I might lose everything!"

"His security threatened me into outing my closest friend! He was so overwhelmed when the book came out, he had to be committed!"

"Mason Treadwell stole my medical files, saw I received a D&C, and told everyone I'd had an abortion when I actually miscarried!"

"Mason Treadwell is a no-good, dishonest liar! And he doesn't care about how many lives he ruins as long as he gets a pay day!"

On the stage, Mason looked like a fish out of water as the host turned to look at him. "Mr. Treadwell, what do you have to say about these allegations?"

Mason opened his mouth but no words came out. "I...I..." He laughed nervously and pulled out a handkerchief to wipe the sweat from his brow. "Boy, is it hot in here..."

Smiling for the first time in days, Olivia turned and headed for the back door. Maybe if Mason was going to publish a book full of high profile people's darkest secrets, he shouldn't have left so many angry and vocal socialites in his wake. They'd been all too easy to find.

Olivia had a feeling Mason wouldn't be coming back from that trip to France anytime soon.

* * *

Amanda and Jack didn't speak the entire ride home from Olivia's. After their talk with her, both of them just felt physically and emotionally drained. As Amanda unlocked the beach house front door, Jack checked his phone for the umpteenth time, still hoping that maybe – just maybe – Nolan would've finally responded to his many calls and texts. Nothing. "So…" He sighed, trying to find something to say to get their minds off the problem at hand. "Do you want breakfast? Maybe we should take Carl out somewhere."

Amanda gave him a weak attempt at a smile. "I don't even think I could keep anything down. All of this is making me feel nauseous…" She pushed the door open and the two of them stepped inside, hanging up their coats on the hook. "Gigi? We're back now! Sorry for the short notice…" She walked into the living room and suddenly trailed off.

Jack looked over and saw her frozen in place, not saying anything and staring at something he couldn't see. "Am, what is it?" He called out, and when he reached her he stopped in his tracks too.

Nolan looked up from where he was sitting on the couch. "Carl went to go play with Bay outside – I hope you don't mind, I told your babysitter she could go home."

Amanda shook her head – she seemed to be in shock that Nolan was actually there in their house right now, after not hearing from him for three days. "Not at all." Tentatively, she walked towards him – it was like she thought if she moved too fast he might disappear again. "Nolan…we're so sorry. About what happened with Hailey, and Mason…"

Their friend glanced down. "No, I'm sorry. I know you wouldn't have intentionally betrayed my trust. I should never have accused you."

"It's okay," Jack said. "We all messed up, it's no one's fault…"

"You know we love you, Nolan." Amanda added. "We just want everything to be okay between us again."

He nodded. "Of course things are okay between us. I love you guys too." Nolan hesitated for a moment, and shook his head to himself. "But God, I don't know if Hailey will ever forgive me…"

Amanda stepped forward and sat down next to him, placing what was meant to be a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "Of course she will."

"How do you know that?"

"Because," Jack cut in. "You're her father, and she's your child. She cares about you, Nolan."

"Just tell her the truth," Amanda said. "That you're sorry, and you love her. Infinity times infinity." At the use of her and David's signature phrase, both men looked at her. She only smiled. "What? It's always been a father-daughter thing."

* * *

Once she got back home, Louise set up camp in the living room.

Placing Nolan's laptop down on the coffee table, she sat down on the floor and typed in the password. She needed to get to the bottom of who this stalker was, and this was the only way she could – hopefully – do that. Luckily, she was friends with a tech genius, who did things like hack the NYPD database for fun in his spare time.

Nolan's computer was a little confusing to her – it was so high tech, with so many different folders and programs and codes, and Louise wasn't exactly good with that sort of thing. When someone said 'Java', she thought they were talking about coffee. After a few moments of searching, she found what she was looking for – the hacked database.

As Louise tried to get her bearings, she realized this would be a little harder than she thought. She knew what the man who had been following her looked like, but that was it – she didn't know his name, age. Hell, for all she knew he may not even have a record. But she had to try – she needed to know why he was following her, and why. And she couldn't figure that out if she didn't have any information to go on.

She started off by looking through the list of men arrested for stalking or related charges in the past year. But it seemed like a fruitless search – there were so many people, and very little information she had to go on. She knew her stalker was Caucasian, but that didn't help narrow the suspect pool much. She needed a new plan.

For a moment, Louise mulled over her options. Finally, she decided to conduct a keyword search. On a whim, she typed in _The American Liberation Party_. A good amount of results came up, but it was minuscule in comparison to her last attempt. Quickly, she scanned through the different results – she clicked on several different men who had been arrested for suspected Liberator connections, but none of them were her guy. Starting to get discouraged again, she clicked on a random profile – and then suddenly she gasped.

Staring back at her, was the face of her stalker. Only he wasn't a suspect.

He was a cop.

"Ryan North," She said, speaking his name aloud. "Now, why are you following me?"

* * *

"Can I come in?"

Hailey looked up, spotting Spencer peeking his head into the spare room. "Sure," She said, looking back into the mirror and focusing on brushing her wet hair. Spencer walked inside, and sat down on the edge of the bed. "Is there something you want to talk about?"

Spencer sighed. "Hailey, it's been three days. And I love having you here, don't get me wrong, but…don't you think maybe it's time you talk to your parents?"

At his words, Hailey involuntarily flinched. Her parents – she wasn't used to anyone talking about them in the plural sense. Her whole life, she'd only had a mom. Until three days ago, she'd been completely unaware of her biological father's identity – though, it turned out he hadn't been so ignorant of the knowledge. And even though he'd had plenty of opportunities to tell her, he hadn't. And then there was her mom – who could've told her from the beginning, or at the very least when they came to The Hamptons and met Nolan. Who could blame her for feeling betrayed, really? "I don't know if I can…"

"Nolan and Olivia are still your parents, Hailes." Spencer told her. "Sure they made a mistake – but they're human. We've all done things we regret. And I know they love you, and they were doing what they thought was best for you at the time."

With a sigh, Hailey placed down her brush and walked over to the bed, plopping down next to Spencer, her legs crossed. "You're right," She conceded. "I…I can't hide here forever, however tempting it may seem."

"I know it's hard," Spencer said. "But they just wanted to protect you. They're your mom and dad, Hailey. And trust me…you think they're always gonna be there, but someday they might not be. Life's too short to push your family away."

Slowly, Hailey smiled. "You always know exactly what to say to me," She said, before placing her hand on top of his.

Spencer looked down, where Hailey's small hand sat on top of his larger one. But it was over all too quickly – ending the contact, Hailey pushed herself off the bed and stood up, leaving Spencer in her wake, his hand still tingling where she'd touched him.

* * *

That night, Drew watched as the candle flickered on the table where he and Charlotte sat for dinner. He'd taken her to a little hole in the wall, thirty minutes outside The Hamptons where they could be alone, where no one knew them. The bar and restaurant was dimly lit and quiet, with only a few customers inside – he could hear a tipsy couple giggling from across the room where they were playing a game of darts. Looking at them, he wondered if in another life the two of them might've still found themselves here.

"You're awfully quiet," Charlotte said, interrupting his thoughts.

Drew looked up, meeting her gaze. Her brown eyes were watching him, and she looked pensive. "Sorry," He said. "I was just thinking."

With a slight sigh, Charlotte placed her hand down on the table, fingers pointed toward him. "Drew…are we back together?"

He glanced down and shrugged lightly. "I don't know. Are we?"

"I don't know, but I want us to be."

Drew looked at her again and she moved her hand forward, so that it was closer to his. It was clear she wanted him to take it, so he reached out and thread her fingers through his own. "You know how I feel about you, Charlie. How I've always felt about you…" At this, she smiled hesitantly. "I just don't want you to feel…pressured."

"Pressured?" She repeated, a little confused. "Why do you think I'd feel pressured?"

"Because, you've been through a lot recently. I know that. And I don't want you to feel like…like we have to get back to the place we were before. I don't want to rush into things when you should be focusing on your recovery."

Charlotte shook her head a little. "Drew, I don't feel pressured by you. I want to get back together because that's what _I_ want. We're not rushing into things – I know I want us to be together again. You are one of the kindest, most supportive people I know – and that's the kind of person I need in my life, especially when I'm recovering. But if you want, we can take things slow. I don't mind. I just want to know that we're okay."

Cautiously, he smiled and squeezed her hand in his own. "Well then, that sounds perfect to me."

 _How can you repair what is broken?_

* * *

Nolan was unpacking his suitcase when he heard a knocking at the door. "It's open!"

 _When your life is in shambles around you, how can you make it right?_

He'd assumed it was Amanda or Jack – they were the only people who knew he was home. "Hi," A voice said, and Nolan immediately spun around. Olivia was standing in the open doorway – he definitely wasn't expecting a visit from her. "I was driving by and I saw your light was on…Where have you been? I was worried about you."

Nolan shrugged. "I went to the city for a few days. Needed some time to clear my head…"

Olivia took a tentative step forward. He could see that her green eyes were brimmed with tears. "Nolan, I am so _so_ sorry…"

He scratched the back of his neck. "It's alright. It's the past, and we can't change it now…"

"No Nolan, it's not alright. I – I really wanted to tell you about Hailey, I really really did."

"Olivia –"

 _Words can't go back in time and undo what we did._

"Please listen to me," She nodded to the bed. "Can we sit down?"

Nolan did as she asked – he could hear the desperation in her voice, so the least he could do was sit. The two of them sat down on the edge of the bed, and - sniffling - Olivia reached into her bag and pulled out a thick book of some sort. Nolan had never seen it before.

"I found out I was pregnant the morning that I left MIT. I was only twenty, I knew my life was never going to be the same again. But you…NolCorp was just taking off. You were on the brink of everything you ever wanted."

Nolan shook his head. "Liv…I wanted you. I wanted _us_. And I would've wanted Hailey too."

Her lower lip quivered. "I knew if I told you you'd do the right thing. But I thought that if you stayed with me out of obligation, if you gave up on your dreams, then someday you would just look at me and feel nothing but resentment. That's why I broke your heart. And as much as it hurt to do it, I thought it was better than the alternative. It was something I regretted almost immediately…" She paused and extended the book to him, for him to take. "Every step of the way I wished you were there."

 _But that doesn't mean that we can't try._

When he took it in his hands, Nolan realized it wasn't a book at all – it was an album. He opened the cover, and his breath was immediately taken away – the first thing he saw was Hailey. Or, Hailey as she'd been nineteen years ago. It was her entire life in pictures, starting on the day she was born, a pretty rosy baby with tendrils of blonde hair, cocooned in a pink blanket at the hospital. He saw her as a chubby infant with a toothless smile, Olivia helping her blow out the candles on her first birthday. Five years old, her hair in pigtails, carrying a Disney princesses backpack on her first day of school. Eight years old, the only girl to bring her mom to the father-daughter dance, no dad whose toes she could stand on. Thirteen, with braces and the ribbon she'd won at the science fair. A smiling seventeen year old, giving a thumbs up to the camera in her cap and gown on graduation day. It was every important moment of her life he'd missed. Every moment he should've been there for.

Nolan didn't realize he was crying until he saw a tear drop onto the page. He met Olivia's eyes, and saw she was crying too. "Why?" He asked, his voice hoarse. "Why didn't you ever reach out to me? You didn't have to do it alone."

 _Truth is a powerful thing._

She shook her head and wiped her eyes. "That's what I want to tell you, Nolan. I did."

This confused him. "What do you mean you –"

They were suddenly distracted by the sound of footsteps approaching them. Both of them sprang up immediately, furiously wiping the tears from their eyes so she couldn't see they'd been crying.

Hailey stopped in the doorway, her lips parted but no words coming out, like she was trying to find the right ones to say. "…Hi."

 _When you need to make amends, telling it is the most powerful thing you can do._

"Hailes," Olivia gasped, bolting to her feet. "Oh my God, baby, I am so sorry…"

She moved to hug her, but Hailey held her hand up in a 'stop' gesture, which halted her in her tracks. Both she and Nolan stared at her, waiting for what she would say next. "Please, just let me talk for a second." Hailey murmured. "I…I was wrong."

"You're…" Nolan stammered. "You're not mad?"

"I was," Hailey explained. "Spencer set me straight. You guys made mistakes but so have I. And no matter what…you're my family. The only family I have. And you were doing what you thought was best for me at the time. I'm sorry. And I don't want to lose you guys. Not now, not ever."

 _It may not be enough._

Olivia rushed forward and pulled her into her arms. "Oh honey, you'll never lose us. I promise…"

When they pulled apart, the younger girl turned to Nolan. "I know this is weird," She said. "But I want to try if you do. We already missed out on nineteen years...and I don't want to miss a day more."

He nodded, and walked forward to hug her. "That's what I want to."

 _But if you really care about someone…_

After a few moments they pulled apart, and Olivia placed a hand on Hailey's shoulder. "No more secrets, alright? Not between the three of us."

Nolan looked from one of them to the other, when suddenly an idea came to him. "The two of you should move in here. With me."

Olivia looked at him, clearly surprised. "What?"

"Jack and Amanda told me you have to move out of your apartment," He said. "And I can turn the spare room into an extra bedroom…We're a family. And we should move forward as one."

At this, Olivia and Hailey looked at each other. And slowly, they smiled.

… _the least you can do is try._


	9. Devil's Advocate

**A/N** : Reminder that I'm going on a 1-2 week hiatus after this chapter. I haven't made as much progress on the third story in this series as I wanted to and need to dedicate some time to making headway on it.

I know _The Revengers_ had 10 chapters but Chapter Ten is NOT the last chapter of this story. There will be 12 chapters total, because there are so many twists at the end here that I couldn't possibly squeeze them all in to 10 chapters. Hopefully you'll enjoy the curveballs that this chapter throws your way. I look forward to reading your freak-outs in the reviews.

 **Disclaimer** : _Revenge_ and its characters do not belong to me.

* * *

 **March 27, 2017**

 **Southampton, New York**

 _There are three types of people in the world. Those who are good, those who are bad, and those who are somewhere in between._

"Our top story this hour, Wall Street CEO Brett Chamberlain is in court today."

As she absentmindedly flipped through the channels, Olivia stopped suddenly when the news caught her attention. She watched as they played a clip of Chamberlain and his lawyer as they made their way through the frantic throng of reporters to the courthouse. The man kept his head down, eyes averted, jaw clenched. "Mr. Chamberlain is accused of the murder of federal prosecutor Richard McKenzie, who was found shot to death in a motel room, as well as the attempted murder of another individual – who has recently been identified as Nolan Ross & Associates employee, 24 year old Spencer Presley. Here's to Maureen, who had a chance to sit down with Mr. Chamberlain's third grade teacher to discuss where it all went wrong…"

"Well, at least he's finally getting what's coming to him."

 _And it can be hard to differentiate between the three._

Olivia was startled by the sound of Nolan's voice and she jumped, rushing to turn off the TV. "I," She stammered. "I was just…" She looked over her shoulder and saw him standing by the threshold from the kitchen to the living room, wearing a purple dressing gown and matching slippers – a look that was just oh so Nolan.

"You don't have to explain yourself, Liv." He said, walking into the kitchen to get the coffee pot started. "Though I have to say, I can't wait to hear how that S.O.B. justifies his actions in court."

Olivia stared at the now black screen, deep in thought. From the kitchen, she could hear the coffee brewing and the sounds of Nolan puttering around, opening and closing cabinets. "I think you should defend him."

In the kitchen, glass shattered.

 _Some people want to see the best in others._

Olivia turned around in her seat and she saw Nolan, who had reappeared and was now looking at her like she had three heads. "I'm sorry, I must have heard you wrong…What did you just say?"

Olivia gulped, and looked him dead in the eye. "I want you to defend Brett Chamberlain in court."

Nolan stared at her for a moment, jaw agape, and then he did something unexpected – he burst out laughing. "Oh my God, Liv! What is wrong with you?"

"It's not what you think!" She insisted. "Chamberlain talked to me when Spencer was in the hospital –"

"Yeah, when Spencer was in the hospital after Brett Chamberlain put him there!"

Olivia glared at him, not happy to be interrupted. "He doesn't want to be a Liberator, Nolan. They told him that if he didn't launder money for them, then they'd kill his wife, and they made him frame me. Then, when the plan failed, they killed McKenzie and set Chamberlain up. They killed Lucas Barlow too. He's innocent, Nolan."

He shook his head at her. "Do you realize how crazy you sound right now? Olivia, Chamberlain is a bad guy!"

"He's made some bad choices," Olivia said. "But come on Nolan – if someone came to you and said they'd kill Hailey, or they'd kill me, you'd do what they asked wouldn't you?"

"He's playing you, Olivia." Nolan said. "That's what he does, he lies."

"Nolan –"

 _But what about those people who don't have any good in them?_

"I will not defend Brett Chamberlain!" He snapped. "Period. End of story." Her temper threatening to boil over at any moment, Olivia got up and grabbed her keys. "Where are you going?"

"Out!" She spat back, before slamming the front door behind her.

"Nolan?" He turned his head when he heard someone sleepily mumble his name, and found Hailey standing there, wearing pajamas with her hair pulled back in a messy ponytail. She rubbed her eyes, looking like a tired child who had just awoken to the sound of their parents' late night argument and didn't know why Mommy and Daddy were fighting. "What's going on?"

Nolan only shook his head. "Nothing."

This family thing was going _really_ well so far...

* * *

"So, what does a girl have to do to get a drink around here?"

Amanda looked up from wiping down the bar as she got ready to open the beach club and saw Olivia standing in the doorway. "For you? Free of charge." She replied. "Come on in."

"Hmm, now I'm not so sure." Olivia teased as she walked over and slipped into one of the barstools. "Pretty dead around here."

"That's because most people don't start drinking at 9 a.m." Amanda said. "Tequila?" Olivia nodded fervently, and Amanda poured her one. "Is everything okay?"

"No," Olivia said, accepting the shot she was given and throwing it back quickly. "Nolan and I had a fight this morning."

"Why?" Amanda asked, refilling her shot glass for her. "I thought you guys just made up after Paternitygate."

"Paternitygate?" Olivia repeated, while Amanda only smirked in response. "Well yeah we did but this was about a…a new problem." She bit her lip, before spewing it out in one breath. "I asked Nolan to defend Brett Chamberlain."

Amanda looked at her, wide-eyed, and didn't say anything for several seconds. "You mean the man who was responsible for you almost being locked away for the rest of your life?"

"He talked to me while Spencer was in the hospital. He didn't kill McKenzie – The Liberators want him to take the fall because he couldn't frame me for the bombing. They sought him out because of his status and threatened his wife. I know that if they'd done that to Hailey, I might be in the same spot as him right now. He's willing to do the time for shooting Spencer so…I think Nolan should help him."

Amanda nodded slowly and poured herself a shot. "Well, I guess you're a more forgiving person than I am then. I'd let the bastard rot." The glass was half-raised to her mouth when she paused, suddenly clenching the edge of the bar and looking visibly pained.

"What's wrong?" Olivia asked, her eyebrows knitting together in concern.

"It's nothing," Amanda said, waving her off, her look of discomfort alleviating. "I think I caught the bug Carl had the other day. I keep feeling like I'm about to be sick."

"Have you puked?" Olivia asked, her maternal instinct coming out. "Do you feel okay otherwise?"

Amanda shrugged. "I mean I'm a little tired and short of breath but with everything that's been going on, I've been straining myself too much – Jack told me I should slow down. I did wake up having to puke really early this morning but I haven't since…"

Suddenly, a thought occurred to Olivia. She eyed Amanda curiously. "Do your boobs hurt?"

Amanda gave her a look. "I don't know if this is your version of girl talk Olivia, but my boobs are fine." She raised her shot to her lips and Olivia instinctively shoved it down, spilling tequila all over the counter. "Okay, what the Hell is wrong with you?"

"Do _not_ drink that," Olivia said, and Amanda gave her a perplexed look. Olivia took a deep breath. "Look, don't take this the wrong way okay? But…could you possibly be pregnant?"

At this suggestion, Amanda's complete demeanor changed. Her face fell and she looked down, picking up a towel and focusing all her attention on wiping up the spilled tequila. "No that's um…not possible."

"That's what I said twenty years ago when I had the same symptoms," Olivia insisted stubbornly. "Hailey's existence proves that I was wrong. Pregnancies don't only happen to people who are planning them Amanda – or even to people who want them."

"It's not that we weren't planning to get pregnant, or even that we didn't want to get pregnant. It's that we _can't_." Amanda looked up, and Olivia saw that she'd started to tear up. " _I_ can't. After I was shot a couple years back…they had to take out my left ovary, my right tube, and left behind all this scar tissue. Two different doctors both told me that I'd never be able to get pregnant. _Ever_. It's…it's never gonna happen for us."

"Oh my God," Olivia said, clearly embarrassed that she'd unknowingly brought up such a sensitive subject. "I'm sorry, I…I had no idea…"

"It's not your fault," Amanda told her. "Barely anyone knows about it. It just…hurts to talk about."

Olivia nodded. "Well, tell you what." She said, taking out her phone. "Why don't I just plug your symptoms into our trusty friend Google and see what comes up?"

"Okay," Amanda sighed. "Well it's just been nausea, fatigue, a little shortness of breath, that one instance of vomiting…And to be completely honest, I did gain a pound or two recently, but I don't know if that's related." Olivia nodded, typing everything she said. "So, got anything?"

Olivia's face fell. "Amanda," She said gravely. "You had a heart transplant, didn't you?"

"Yeah…"

Olivia looked up at her, appearing serious. "All of your symptoms point to heart rejection." At this the other woman looked down, clutching the edge of the bar as she absorbed this information. "…Are you okay?" Olivia asked after a moment.

Amanda shook her head and stepped back. "I think I'm gonna be sick,"

"Amanda –" Olivia called out, but Amanda only stormed off into the kitchen, slamming the door behind her.

* * *

"Can I talk to you for a second?"

Nolan looked up, finding Louise standing in the open doorway to his office. He sighed and shoved his work to the side. "Yeah, sure. Come on in." As Louise walked over and slipped into the chair across from him, he could see that something was bothering her – it was written all over her face. "Is something wrong?"

She bit her lip. "I have something to talk to you about." Before he could say anything, she reached into her purse and pulled out a file, slapping it down on the desk. "I think I have a stalker."

Nolan only stared at her for a moment. "You think?"

She sighed and flipped the file open, frantically thumbing through pages. "This man was following me," She said, handing Nolan a piece of paper from her stack.

Still incredulous, he picked it up and found himself looking at a photograph of a man's intimidating face. "Detective Ryan North?" He read aloud. "You think the police are tailing you? Louise…"

"Not the police, and I know I sound crazy." Louise said. "But I swear to God Nolan, I saw him following me, and it's happened more than once. I did research on him, and this is scary stuff." Nolan only blinked at her, so she continued. "This guy used to be a cop with the NYPD – but then, he was fired for an officer involved shooting that happened while they were staging a Liberator set-up. The other detective he was with was shot twice in the back, and died – the bullets came from North's gun. He killed his partner in cold blood."

"Well if he's a murderer, then why isn't he in prison right now?"

"He was found not guilty by reason of insanity," Louise explained. "Apparently he claimed to be having delusions that his partner was out to get him or something. He went to a facility upstate for eighteen months, and then he was released. He's crazy and he's the one who's been following me, I know he is."

Nolan sighed and placed the file back down on the table. "I'll research to see if I can find any connections between North and the Chamberlains – but until then, you just need to lay low, and not go anywhere on your own, alright?"

Louise nodded. "But how are you going to do that?"

Nolan got up and walked to the open doorway. "Drew?" He called out. "Can you come here for a second?"

Louise turned around in her chair and the young man soon appeared. "Yeah? You need something?"

Nolan picked up the file, and extended it to him. "I need you to find out where this guy lives – and I need you to tail him."

* * *

"So he came and picked me up, and he took me to this _adorable_ little place. It was so sweet –"

That afternoon, as Charlotte went over all the details of her date with Drew last week, Hailey wasn't fully paying attention. They were walking down Main Street, frozen yogurts in hand, after having a girls' afternoon. But for some reason, Hailey just felt uneasy – she had that weird sense of foreboding, and she didn't know why.

"Oooh, switch." Charlotte said, bringing her back to reality. Hailey shook her head, snapping out of her thoughts, and swapped cups with her. Her friend looked at her curiously as she took a spoonful. "Are you okay? You seem…out of it."

Hailey paused. "I just…I have a weird feeling like we're being watched."

Instead of being worried by this statement, Charlotte simply laughed. "Probably are. People are going to stare when your best friend is as famous as I am." She said jokingly, gently elbowing Hailey in the ribs.

The other girl shrugged. "I guess you're right." They'd reached the parking lot where she'd left her car by now, so the two of them said goodbye, Hailey turning into the lot and Charlotte starting to cross the street.

She was about halfway across when something – or more accurately, someone – caught her attention. "Drew?"

He looked up at the sound of his name, visibly surprised to see her. He was standing behind his car, looking at something across the street, like he was trying not to be seen. "Hey…"

"Are you following me, or something?" She asked, only half kidding. She was a little concerned, finding him in such an unusual position.

"Or something," Drew answered, then he elaborated: "Nolan asked me to tail some guy, but so far he hasn't done anything. He got out of his car but he hasn't gone anywhere. He's just been standing around...like he's looking for something. Or…or waiting."

Charlotte raised an eyebrow. "That's weird. Did Nolan say why he wanted you to follow him?"

Drew shrugged. "He just said the less I knew the better."

Intrigued, Charlotte moved over to join his side. "What car is he driving?"

"Black Nissan Altima. Crap, I think he's on the move."

The two of them watched as the Nissan's lights turned on and the engine revved – but it wasn't the first car to pull out of the lot. They watched as a white Camry made its way out, the Nissan following not far behind. Charlotte looked to Drew. "Who is this guy, and why is he following Hailey?"

* * *

When Hailey pulled up outside Nolan's house, she was surprised to find Spencer's Jeep already there. "Hey," She said, climbing out of her car just as he got out of his. "What's going on?"

"I was hoping I'd find you here," Spencer said. "Can I talk to you about something?"

Hailey nodded and he followed her as she walked up to the front door, sticking her key in the lock. "Sure, what about?"

As they walked inside, Spencer suddenly felt nervous. He'd practiced what he was going to say, but now he was tongue tied. "Well, uh…you know I really like hanging out with you, right?"

Hailey smiled and pushed the door open. "I like hanging out with you too."

"Yeah, well, I was wondering…if maybe we could…you know…" Spencer cut himself off as they walked into the living room and saw that weren't alone – Olivia was in the kitchen, chopping vegetables.

She looked up when she heard them come in. "Hey, honey. And Spencer – how are you feeling?"

He forced a smile, trying to hide how defeated he secretly felt. "I'm doing good, thanks for asking."

"What are you doing here?" Hailey asked, dropping down onto the couch and sitting with her legs tucked under her body. "I didn't see your car."

Olivia sighed. "It broke down – _again_. I think for good this time. Luckily the tow truck driver was sympathetic."

"You know Nolan will buy you another one if you ask."

"It's the principle of the thing, Hailes." She hesitated, her knife stopping mid-motion. "Plus, he's kind of pissed at me right now anyway."

Hailey sat up a little straighter, intrigued. "Yeah, I heard you guys arguing this morning. Everything okay?"

Olivia looked down, and pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. "It was stupid, really…"

Her daughter clearly wasn't buying this. "Come on, Mom. Just tell me. Maybe I can help."

Olivia was silent for a moment, unsure if she should tell her, but Hailey and Spencer were both looking at her, and it was clear her daughter would not let this go so easily. "I asked him if he would defend Brett Chamberlain."

Silence. She looked at Hailey and Spencer, who were both staring at her with wide eyes. "What?" Spencer gasped.

Hailey stood up. "You have got to be kidding me!" Her mother looked away, unable to meet her eyes. "Are you serious right now?"

"Look, he was blackmailed –"

"I don't care if he was blackmailed!" Hailey roared. "Mom, he shot Spencer! He could have killed him! And he deserves to rot in jail for what he did!"

Spencer shifted awkwardly, caught in the middle of an argument that he did not want to be involved in. "Hailey –" He started to say, but she only brushed past him and stormed up the stairs. A moment later, a door slammed.

* * *

As late afternoon faded into early evening, the crowds at the beach club gradually thinned. Amanda finished loading up the dishwasher and looked around – Jack was waiting on the few tables they had, there were no customers needing her attention, and Carl was currently sitting on the floor, playing with Bay and completely preoccupied. Closing the dishwasher door, she pulled her phone out of her pocket and scrolled down through her contacts until she found the one she wanted: _Dr. Stevens._ Her cardiologist.

Amanda knew that she had to call. Ever since her talk with Olivia that morning, she knew that she couldn't deny the fact that there was a good chance she was rejecting her heart. She had all the symptoms. But she knew that the longer she delayed scheduling this appointment, the longer she could keep her bubble intact. The longer she could keep pretending that everything was fine and that for once life was actually going her way.

Her thoughts were interrupted when Jack walked over, refilling some glasses. "You okay?" He asked, noticing her perturbed expression. "You look like something's bothering you."

Amanda shook her head. "I'm fine." She lied.

Jack looked at her, apparently unappeased by her quick dismissal. "You know," He said gently. "I heard you get up in the middle of the night last night. Are you sure you're alright?"

In her mind, Amanda cursed. She'd woken up probably around two am that morning and sneaked off to the bathroom to puke. She had hoped that Jack hadn't heard her, because she didn't want to talk with him about her fears – not yet. "It was nothing. I…I think I'm just coming down with something."

Her husband was still skeptical. "Little late for flu season, isn't it?"

Amanda shrugged and turned away, focusing on wiping the counter even though it didn't need to be cleaned. "They were saying that someone had Carl's preschool came down with something. I probably just caught a bug – it'll pass."

Jack reluctantly relented, sensing that she wasn't in the mood to talk about it any further. He wouldn't press it. "Okay…"

Amanda dropped the rag she was holding. "You know, I forgot that I promised Nolan I'd help him at the office. I'll see you at home, okay?" Jack nodded and watched as she grabbed her purse, dropping a kiss to Carl's head on her way out. She was acting weird, but all he could do was tell himself that if something was really wrong, then she'd let him know. They didn't keep secrets from each other anymore...right?

As soon as Amanda left the bar, she pulled out her phone and lifted it to her ear. Her call was answered after two rings. "Dr. Stevens's office," The nurse said chirpily. "How can I help you?"

"Yes, hi." Amanda sighed. "This is Amanda Porter – how soon can I make an appointment?"

* * *

When they saw Drew return, Nolan and Louise both immediately dropped what they were doing and sat up straighter in their seats. "Back so soon?" The latter asked.

Drew dropped North's file down on Nolan's desk in front of him. "Using the partial plate Louise gave, I was able to find the registration for his car and the address tied to it. When I went there, I saw he was leaving and I tailed him. He went to Main Street, and he just stayed there for a while."

Nolan looked at him, waiting for more. "And?"

Drew sighed. "At first, I didn't know what he was doing. But then, I saw him follow someone out of the parking lot…It was Hailey's car." At this, Nolan and Louise exchanged a look. "So, you gonna tell me what's going on or what?"

Nolan ignored him, immediately picking up his phone and dialing. "This is the last straw." This guy had followed his friend, and now he was following his daughter – he was going to do something about it.

The person on the other end picked up almost immediately. "Nolan?" Olivia said, her confusion evident. "What –"

"Look, I'll explain later." He said. "But right now, there's been a change of plans. It seems we're going to pay our friend Chamberlain a visit after all."

* * *

 _They say that looks can be deceiving._

There were some people who were just not fit to be in prison. Brett Chamberlain was one of those people.

It was evident to Nolan and Olivia the minute the guards escorted him to the visitor's room. He was marched over, donned in a signature orange jumpsuit, his wrists and his ankles both shackled. He looked almost emotionless, like all the life had been sucked out of him. He looked like he hadn't eaten or slept in days, as evidenced by the bags under his eyes and his sallow cheeks. Olivia knew from experience that prisoners generally didn't hold people whom they thought were privileged or receiving special treatment with very high regard, and he was probably receiving crap all day and all night.

The great Brett Chamberlain had officially been broken.

 _People are not always what they seem to be._

As he was ushered into his seat across from them, Chamberlain didn't beat around the bush. "What the Hell do you two want?" He snapped. "Did you come here to gloat?"

Nolan and Olivia exchanged a look. "No," The former said. "We've decided that Ross & Associates it going to represent you for the rest of your trial."

Chamberlain recoiled, clearly shocked by this news. "What's the catch?"

Nolan pulled a piece of paper out of his briefcase, and slid it across the table – a contract. "There are some conditions. First, you're going to plead guilty to the assault of Spencer Presley. And you're going to do the time the judge gives you for that. With your cooperation and no history of violent crime, it should be a year at most."

Chamberlain looked from him to Olivia, jaw clenched. "Done." He said finally.

"There's one more thing," Olivia said. "You need to tell us everything you know about a man named Ryan North."

Chamberlain raised his eyebrow. "Why do you want to know about Ryan North?"

Olivia shrugged. "Does it matter?" She extended a pen to him, waiting for him to take it.

 _Sometimes, you may swear that you see a side in someone that no one else does. And maybe you do._

After a moment's hesitation, Chamberlain grabbed the pen, signing on the dotted line as best as he could with his cuffed wrists. He slapped the pen down on the table and looked up at them. "North is a Liberator. I don't know much about him though, to be honest – he's kind of a loner."

"Do you know what his endgame might be?" Nolan asked. "Or who he works for?"

"As far as I know," Chamberlain said. "He works for Elizabeth Miller."

 _Or maybe you're advocating for someone who doesn't deserve your help._

At this, Nolan's disposition completely changed – when Olivia looked at his face, he seemed like he'd just seen a ghost. "You're lying." He spat.

Chamberlain chuckled dryly. "Now why would I do that? I have nothing left to lose."

Wordlessly, Nolan pushed his chair out and stood up. "I'll see you in court," He said, before heading for the door.

 _Sure, maybe you're right, and they really are just misunderstood._

As they walked back to his car, Olivia had to quicken her pace to catch up with him. "Nolan!" She called out to him. "Can you slow down?" She finally reached him, grabbing his arm and forcing him to stop. "I'm lost. Who is Elizabeth Miller?"

Nolan looked over his shoulder to meet her eyes. And in that moment he looked positively…haunted. "Elizabeth Miller," He said. "Is my mother's name."

* * *

 _But sometimes, you'll be wrong._

She didn't know how long she sat there on the bathroom floor, her knees pulled to her chest – it felt like ages. Amanda leaned up against the wall, a solitary tear rolling down her cheek. She knew she'd have to pick herself up off the floor because Jack would be home soon, but she just physically couldn't move. She felt like if she stood up, her legs would just give way.

She just didn't understand…how on Earth did this happen?

Her hand still shaking like it had been ever since she got the news, she once again lifted into her line of vision the little plastic stick which had delivered her fate in the form of eight digitalized letters: _PREGNANT_.

 _Very,_ very _wrong._


	10. Second Chances

**A/N** : I'm back! I hope you guys liked the last chapter (Amanda being pregnant probably wasn't a huge shock, but I'm sure it was a welcome development regardless). If you enjoy this chapter, please drop a review. You have no idea how much they mean to me.

 **Disclaimer** : _Revenge_ isn't mine.

* * *

 **March 28, 2017**

 **Southampton, New York**

 _I like to think that I'm the kind of person who doesn't give up on people._

When Olivia woke up the next morning, she found Nolan already up and fully dressed, puttering around the kitchen. "Good morning," He said, not looking up from pouring his coffee into a travel mug. "I'm heading out. There's leftover waffles in the fridge if you want some –"

"Nolan," She cut him off. "We need to talk – about last night. You can't just tell me that our daughter's stalker is employed by your mother and then not say anything more."

He let out a hollow laugh. "It sounds so crazy when you say it altogether like that, don't you think?" When he saw that she wasn't budging, he reluctantly sat down at the counter. Olivia immediately took the seat next to him. "Look, we don't even know if it's her. Elizabeth Miller isn't an uncommon name…"

 _Humans are fallible, and we all make mistakes._

Olivia practically snorted. "Are you honestly telling me that you think this is a coincidence? Because I don't think I believe in them anymore."

Nolan looked down, and for a moment he didn't say anything. "My mom moved out when I was in high school," He said finally, his voice barely above a whisper. "My dad...he used to hit her. Beat her up. She became a politician and after I dropped out of MIT, I lived with her for a while, in Pennsylvania. Then one day, she told me she needed to focus on her career, and so I moved out. I lived with her sister after that – my aunt Carole – until NolCorp really took off. Eventually we just lost touch. I guess we both just got too busy. I haven't spoken to her in…I don't know, about fifteen years?"

 _But at how many times can you give people the benefit of the doubt…_

Olivia leaned forward. "Nolan, why would your mother want to spy on us?"

"My mother would _never_ try to hurt us!" He said adamantly. "I know it's been a long time but…that wasn't the kind of person she was. She always taught me to be honest, and work hard…She looked out for me..."

Olivia crossed her arms over her chest. "Are you sure about that?"

Nolan sighed in exasperation as he stood up, grabbing his briefcase and travel mug as he headed for the door. "I'm telling you Olivia, this all must be some misunderstanding. My mother is a good guy here, I know it."

Olivia spun around in her seat. "Where are you going?" She called after him.

"I'm going to talk to Brett Chamberlain myself."

… _before they make a fool out of you?_

* * *

Spencer was caught off guard by a light knocking at his door mid-morning. Rising from his couch, he answered it and smiled when he saw who was there. "Hailey, hey. Come on in."

The teenage girl smiled sheepishly as she came inside. "Sorry to stop by so unexpectedly – I think I left my phone charger here."

He waved off her apology. "It's no problem. Take a look around."

Hailey walked inside, and immediately groaned. "Oh my God, it's right there!" She said, gesturing to the power strip next to the couch. She sighed as she knelt down to pull out her charger. "Well, now that I've made myself look like a total frazzled idiot, I guess I'll leave now."

She started for the door, but Spencer stopped her. "Actually," He said. "Can we talk for a second?"

Hailey seemed a little confused, but she nodded. "Sure. What about?"

Spencer hesitated, and for a moment he considered backing out. He knew though he had to just come out and say it – he'd been dying to ask her this for months now, and he had to get it over with. "I was just wondering," He began tentatively. "If you want to grab dinner tonight?"

She smiled. "Yeah, sounds great. I'll call Charlotte and Drew –"

"Actually, I was thinking it would be just you and me."

Hailey's eyes widened. "You mean…you mean like a date?"

Spencer scratched the back of his neck nervously. "Yeah…yeah, like a date."

Hailey opened her mouth, but nothing came out. She didn't know what to say. "I…I have to go." She stammered, before brushing past Spencer and walking out as quickly as she could.

* * *

"Wait, so he asked you out?"

Hailey sighed and covered her face with her hands as she relayed to Charlotte one of the most awkward moments of her life. "Yes."

"And you said…?"

"Nothing, I said nothing, okay?"

From the other side of Nolan's kitchen table, Charlotte gave Hailey a look of pity. "Oh, honey…"

"I know, I know, I'm an idiot."

Charlotte placed her hand on top of hers. "Do you want to date Spencer?" She asked.

Hailey shrugged. "I don't know…I mean, I think he's really sweet and nice, and maybe if we went out things would go really well. But…my life is crazy enough as it is right now! I mean we already kissed once and -"

Across the table, Charlotte's eyes went wide. "Wait, you kissed? And you didn't tell me? Oh my God, I knew it! Drew totally owes me twenty bucks!"

"Charlotte! I'm being serious!"

"Sorry, sorry. Continue."

Hailey sighed. "We kissed and it was good but... _weird._ What if we go out and it's awkward? Do I really want to risk ruining my friendship with Spencer if things don't work out? I'd rather have Spencer in my life as just my friend than not have him in it at all."

Her friend gave her what was meant to be a reassuring smile. "We'll do something to get your mind off it. We can go back to my place to watch movies. Just, let me call Drew first." Hailey nodded and got up, while Charlotte pulled her phone out of her purse and dialed her boyfriend's number.

"Hey," Drew answered. "What's up?"

"I'm just at Nolan's with Hailey – she and Spencer are having a thing."

"A thing?"

"Yeah, I'll explain later." She told him. "What I wanted to talk to you about was – do you want to come over to my place later? Maybe…have a little sleepover?"

For a moment, Drew didn't say anything. "Actually Char, I think I have to work late tonight. Rain check?"

"Umm, sure…"

"I gotta go, Nolan's calling, but I'll talk to you later."

"Okay –" She started to say, but before she could say anything more, he hung up the phone. Was it just her, or had he been acting weird?

She didn't have much time to mull it over as Hailey reappeared, carrying a stack of DVDs. "Everything okay?" She asked.

Charlotte forced a smile. "Yeah, great."

As the two of them headed for the door, it promptly opened, catching both of them off guard. Olivia walked inside and then froze when she saw the two of them. "Oh. Hi, girls."

Hailey shifted from one foot to the other, and Charlotte could tell that there was tension between the two of them for some reason. "Hi. What's going on?"

Olivia sighed. "Nolan and I just got into a little disagreement this morning, that's all. About Chamberlain's case."

Hailey nodded, but said nothing. Looking from one of them to the other, an idea dawned on Charlotte, and she slowly smiled. "Change of plans," She told Hailey. "I'm going to call Louise."

"Why?"

"Because," She explained. "I think all of us need a girls' day today."

* * *

"The missus not here with you today, huh?"

Nolan looked up as Chamberlain was escorted into the visitors' room, the other man offering up a weak attempt at a joke. "I need to talk to you alone." Nolan told him.

Chamberlain was shoved into the seat across from him, and the guard stepped back, watching from the corner. "Did you come here to tell me that you're dropping my case?" Nolan swore he saw a trace of fear cross his eyes.

"No," He said, before opening his briefcase. He pulled out a stack of papers and gave it to him. "This is security camera footage from The Hamptons Motor Court the night Richard McKenzie was murdered."

Chamberlain looked at the photos in front of him. The first one showed McKenzie, sliding his key into the door and entering. He flipped to the next one, and then he froze. Approaching the same door where McKenzie had entered was a distinctly female figure – her slim and feminine frame dressed in all black, a tendril of long hair peeking out of her hood, her face not in view of the security camera. "What is this?"

"The footage shows that McKenzie arrived at the room at 6:15 pm." Nolan explained. "This woman showed up at 6:50, and stayed for almost thirty minutes. You didn't arrive at the room until 7:43 – only five minutes before Spencer arrived."

Chamberlain was still looking at the pictures in his hand. He was staring at the second photo of the woman – as she left the room, her hood was pulled tight, keeping her face shrouded from the camera. "Okay – so McKenzie had another visitor. So what?"

Nolan looked at him, a little surprised that he wasn't happier right now. "At the scene, the police noticed that McKenzie's watch was broken – it stopped at 7:00. That means he was likely dead or dying at that time – almost forty-five minutes before you arrived. Additionally, the ballistics found that McKenzie was shot with a 9mm handgun. You shot Spencer with a .44 Magnum – a completely different gun. Because of this, the DA is dropping the murder charge against you."

Chamberlain placed the surveillance photos down and nodded. "Thank you."

Nolan hesitated for a moment. "There's one more thing…I need you to tell me everything you know about Elizabeth Miller."

The older man shrugged. "I barely know her, really. Don't know if we've talked much, if ever. But I've seen her around when I was doing work for The Liberators – and Ryan North is pretty much always with her. It's like he's her guard dog or something."

"You told us The Liberators blackmailed you," Nolan said. "Is it possible that they've done the same for her?"

Chamberlain shook his head, chuckling. "I don't think so. But one thing I'm sure of? She seems like she's welcome in the inner circle."

* * *

Amanda sleepily trudged down the beach house stairs, while at the backdoor someone was continually knocking. "I'm coming!" She called out to her impatient mystery guest, but her voice sounded frail and hoarse, considering she'd been puking her guts out since Jack had left to go to the bar that morning. She was sick, she was tired, and her whole body physically hurt – not to mention her mind was still reeling from the news of her unexpected pregnancy. She really wasn't in the mood to see anyone, to say the least. Hopefully she could get rid of whoever it was…

She opened the door and as soon as she did, her visitors immediately invited themselves in. "We brought treats." Charlotte said excitably as she walked inside, making herself at home in Amanda and Jack's kitchen. Louise followed her, grocery bags in hand, while Olivia came in after, her arm around a dejected looking Hailey's shoulder.

"Today is going to be a drinking day," Louise said, placing her bags down on the counter. "What do you have in the cupboard?"

"Umm…" Amanda said, fumbling for an answer. "Nothing, really. I actually –"

"You guys own a bar and you have no liquor?" Olivia said. She and Hailey sat down at the kitchen table. "I didn't think that was possible."

"Don't worry!" Charlotte said. "We brought wine!" She pulled two bottles out of the bags and Amanda mentally cursed. "Red or white?"

"You guys," Amanda interjected, coming up with an excuse on the fly. She shouldn't exactly tell them she was pregnant – especially considering she didn't know how far along she was, and hadn't told Jack yet let alone anyone else. "I'm not feeling too great, so maybe you guys should go back to Louise's…"

Hailey raised an eyebrow. "Are you actually wearing sweatpants right now? I didn't even know you owned a pair…"

"And I don't think I've ever seen you get sick," Charlotte added. "I was starting to think revenge senseis weren't susceptible to the common cold." Louise nodded in agreement, retrieving wine glasses from the cabinet.

"A drink will cheer you right up," The latter insisted. "You like red, don't you Amanda?"

"Guys!" Amanda snapped. They all looked at her, caught off guard by this outburst. "I'm not drinking, okay?"

Charlotte picked up her glass and took a big sip with a joking roll of her eyes. "Why – are you pregnant?" She, Hailey and Louise all laughed, but Olivia's eyes widened with realization as she thought about the conversation she'd had with Amanda the day before.

"Oh my God," She gasped. "You're pregnant, aren't you?"

The other three women froze, looking to Amanda for her response expectantly. Amanda crossed her arms over her chest and looked at the ground, unable to answer the question.

Her expression was all it took for them to realize it was true. "You're really pregnant!" Louise proclaimed, and Charlotte literally squealed.

"Oh my God!" She said, slamming down her wine glass forcefully before racing over to hug her sister. "I hope it's a girl! I want a niece _so_ badly –"

Amanda only shoved her off and the other women all went quiet, sensing that she wasn't as excited as all of them were. "What's wrong?" Hailey asked. "Did you guys not want a baby or…?"

"We did," Amanda replied. "We _do_ , but…Jack doesn't know."

"You haven't told him?" Charlotte said.

Louise gasped dramatically, a hand over her heart. "Oh sweet Jesus! Is it not his?"

"What?" Amanda said. "Of course it's Jack's! But…" She trailed off, biting her lip. "I was told I could never get pregnant – ever. And I had a heart transplant. That doesn't exactly spell good pregnancy outcome…"

Charlotte shook her head and touched her sister's arm. "Oh, Amanda. Don't torture yourself like this…"

"You have the rest of your life to worry about your kid," Olivia chimed in, and Hailey rolled her eyes as discreetly as possible when she said that. "Right now, you should just be happy."

"And you will be a _wonderful_ mama," Louise insisted. "You have to have faith that everything will work out the way it's supposed to."

Amanda nodded and took a deep breath. But despite their words of encouragement, she wasn't convinced – in her life, the worst case scenario had happened all too frequently. Why should this time be any different?

* * *

"I understand there's been a change in the charges?"

From his seat behind Chamberlain, Nolan watched as the DA rose to her feet. "Yes, Your Honor. The people have decided to drop the murder charge against Mr. Chamberlain due to lack of evidence."

The judge nodded. "Alright, then. And Mr. Chamberlain, it is true that you wish to change your plea?"

"Correct, Your Honor." Chamberlain's lawyer said. "My client would like to plead guilty to the remaining charge."

"And Mr. Chamberlain, you understand that by making this plea you are giving up your right to a trial by jury?"

The man in question nodded. "Yes, Your Honor."

"Very well then," The judge said. "Brett Chamberlain, I find you guilty on the charge of second degree assault, and hereby sentence you to six months at Rikers Island Correctional Facility. Case dismissed."

And with a bang of his gavel, that was that. Chamberlain stood up and turned around, meeting Nolan's eyes as he rose to his feet. "Thank you for helping me." He said. "I know I didn't deserve it."

Nolan only gave him a curt nod. "Thank you for your information." The man was re-handcuffed then, escorted by guards out of the courtroom. Nolan turned to go, and that was when he caught a glimpse of a familiar face. He watched just as Sonya Chamberlain turned on her heel and slipped out of the courtroom, without speaking to her husband.

* * *

Half an hour later, the girls were thoroughly, thoroughly tipsy – with the exceptions of Amanda and Hailey, since they were pregnant and underage respectively. Out of the remaining three, Charlotte was the most sober, her knees to her chest as she poured herself another glass of wine. Louise was getting increasingly sloppier and gigglier the more she drank, while Olivia had the bottle of Cabernet clenched in her hands like it was the only thing anchoring her to Earth. Amanda sat in the chair, slightly bemused as she watched them, while Hailey was squished on the couch, her tipsy friend on one side and her drunk mother and colleague on the other.

Charlotte sighed. "I miss Drew."

"I have to break Spencer's heart." Hailey mumbled.

"I can't sleep." Louise said, her words coming out slightly slurred. "Every night I just…lie awake, wondering if this is the night that _he_ breaks into my house. If tonight is the night I'm going to die. I never feel safe anymore."

Olivia was staring at the floor. "Nolan's mother is behind the stalker." She blurted out, and when she looked up she found that all of the other women were staring at her. "Chamberlain told us so." She elaborated. "And Nolan thinks that this all must be some misunderstanding – that his mother would _never_ do this to him. But he hasn't seen her in years. He doesn't even know her anymore. So I'm…I'm not so sure."

No one said anything, all of them unsure how to break the depressing mood. After a few moments, Louise let out a drunken giggle. She looked at Amanda. "You made a baby in my house!"

"What?" Amanda gasped. "We…we did not!"

Louise gave her a look. "Come on, Valentine's Day? You and Jack disappeared for twenty five minutes and when you came back you had wrinkled clothes and sex hair! What else would you have been doing?" Amanda looked down, clearly unable to dispute her claims, and the rest of them chuckled.

"Really classy." Olivia teased, and Amanda scowled at her.

"Oh yeah? Cause I bet how you and Nolan conceived Hailey was so romantic?"

"Mom," Hailey warned. "I absolutely do _not_ want to hear this story–" But her intoxicated mother had no problem sharing and sat up.

"Someone on the floor of my dorm was throwing a New Year's party," She said. "And we may have indulged in a few too many peppermint schnapps. And when we went back to my room we realized we were out of condoms, only we couldn't go get any because the roads were covered in snow –"

"Okay, that's enough!" Hailey cut her off, her cheeks bright red at this point, and the others all laughed.

Once they'd all gotten ahold of themselves, Charlotte dropped her head down onto Hailey's shoulder. "We really need to talk to our guys, don't we?" She asked, serious once again.

Hailey nodded solemnly. "Yeah, we do."

* * *

Once she'd sobered up, Charlotte headed over to the beach club. She walked inside and scanned the room, before her eyes finally landed on the person she'd came to see. She walked over to Drew's booth, where he was preoccupied by something on his phone. "Hey, you."

Drew looked up and smiled as she slid in across from him. "Hey. I wasn't expecting to see you tonight."

"I just wanted to talk to you about some stuff." She paused and looked to make sure no one else was around, before leaning forward, a giddy smile on her face. "Okay, I am bursting at the seams with news and need to tell someone, but you have to keep it a secret!"

Drew nodded. "I swear."

"Amanda's pregnant."

"Really? Get out!"

"I know, right?"

They were cut off by the appearance of Jack, who came by to drop off Drew's beer. "Hey, Char. You need anything?"

She forced a smile and shook her head. "No thanks."

"Oh hey," Drew said to Jack. "Congrats, man."

Charlotte's eyes widened, while Jack gave Drew a confused look. "Congrats for what?"

Drew opened his mouth to continue, but Charlotte cut him off firmly. "He meant for the beach club – doing so well, you know. It's really great." Jack was still a little puzzled, but he let it go and went back to work.

As soon as he was gone, Charlotte slapped Drew's arm. "Hey!" He said. "What was that for?"

"I literally just told you not to say anything!"

Drew rubbed his shoulder. "Sorry, but I figured I didn't have to keep it a secret from the baby daddy." He paused, his beer half raised to his lips. "It is his, right?"

Charlotte rolled her eyes. "Yes! She just hasn't told him yet, so we have to keep this between us." As Drew took a sip of his beer, she paused, growing serious. "Look…there's something else I want to talk about. You and me."

"What about you and me?"

She bit her lip. "I know you said that we should go slow but right now, we're not going… _anywhere_."

Drew hesitated for a moment, and placed his glass back down on the table. "Look Char, it's just…" He trailed off. "I know I said I wanted to take things slow but even so the truth is…this is the most serious relationship I've ever had."

"Yeah, it is for me too...Is there something wrong with that?"

Drew looked down at his hands. "I just...I never let myself get this close to people, especially women, and…I've never felt this way before, okay? About _anyone_. And that…that kind of scares me. I already almost lost you once."

Charlotte shut her eyes at the thought – her memories of that particular day were hazy at best, but she knew for Drew they were painfully clear. And she knew that growing close to people was especially hard for him, because he knew from firsthand experience that when you loved someone they could be taken from you. Just like what had happened with his mom.

She reached across the table and placed her hand on top of his. "I'm not going to go anywhere. And I will never ever scare you like that again."

He looked up. "…Promise?"

She nodded. "I promise."

* * *

As Nolan fixed himself a drink at the end of the night, he heard the sound of a knock at his front door. "Coming!" He called out, placing down his glass and going to answer it. He smiled when he saw who it was. "Ams, hey. Everything okay?"

His friend stepped inside, wringing her hands in front of her. "I was just going for a drive to clear my head and saw that your light was on. You're not busy, are you?"

Nolan waved off her concern. "Just about to have a drink. Make yourself at home." Walking inside, Amanda seated herself on the living room sofa, while Nolan fetched his martini from the kitchen. "Do you want one?"

She shook her head. "No thanks, I'm good."

Nolan sat down in the chair, while on the couch Amanda was looking down at her lap, seeming preoccupied. "I have had a crazy couple days," Nolan sighed. "You wouldn't even believe it…"

"Yeah, same here."

"I bet I win the crappy week lottery – I actually agreed to represent _Brett Chamberlain_ , who is easily in the top five of worst people I've ever met. Right behind our old friends Vicky and Connie." Nolan said, before taking a long sip of his martini.

Amanda looked at him for a moment as he drank, and then she blurted it out: "I'm pregnant."

Nolan choked on his martini.

She gave an unenthusiastic attempt at a smile. "See? I win."

Her friend only gawked at her, his mouth open in surprise. He was momentarily unable to form a coherent sentence, stunned by this surprising piece of information. He still vividly remembered the moment at Amanda and Jack's rehearsal dinner when he'd teased her about the two of them finally making "little volunteer babies" and she'd promptly burst into tears, before telling him everything about how she couldn't have children. He remembered holding her as she cried. "Did you just…? But I thought you couldn't…?"

"That's what I thought too," Amanda responded. "It took five pregnancy tests for me to finally start to believe it…"

He shook his head and inched forward in his seat. "I want to say that's great news, but you don't seem too excited. Are we not happy about this bun in your oven or…?"

"It's not that." She insisted. "I always wanted children of my own but…honestly I'm scared, Nolan. I was told by multiple doctors that I could never have biological children, _ever_. And I have no idea how to tell Jack…"

"Wait a second." Nolan interrupted. "You haven't told Jack – your husband Jack? The father of your unborn baby?"

"I just found out! I don't even know how I would begin to explain to him something I can barely understand myself! And especially when I don't know how far along am I, or if the pregnancy's even viable…" She wiped her eyes, already on the verge of tears – damn pregnancy hormones had her on an emotional rollercoaster... "We wanted to have kids together so badly, and if we lost this baby – which knowing me we probably will…It would devastate him, Nolan. Hasn't Jack lost enough because of me already? I wouldn't forgive myself if I caused him even more pain…"

Nolan touched her knee. "You're convincing yourself that the worst case scenario is going to happen, when everything's probably fine. It's okay to have faith that things will work out, Ams."

Amanda was silent for a moment. "Is that what you're doing with your mother?"

Nolan recoiled in surprise when she brought the subject up. "Olivia told you this?"

Amanda shrugged. "Answer the question."

He retracted his hand and sighed, leaning back in his chair. "Chamberlain was blackmailed into doing what he did for the Liberators – he knew he'd go to jail or…or _worse_ if he didn't. He was afraid he'd be killed like Barlow or McKenzie. How do we know that they're not doing the same to my mother? What if they're threatening her? What if she needs my help? I can't turn my back on her, not now."

"Or maybe she's not the person you think she is."

Frustrated now, Nolan blurted out the words without thinking. "Well wasn't there a time when you thought David was a terrorist too?" The reality of what he'd just said sinking in quickly, Nolan looked up to find Amanda staring at him in shock, her lower lip quivering. Had he _really_ just said that to his scared, pregnant, hormonal best friend? Pretty stupid for someone who was supposed to be a genius… "Ams, I'm sorry…I didn't mean…"

"Yeah," She said flatly, crossing her arms over her chest. "Sure you didn't…"

Nolan got up and moved to sit next to her on the couch, touching her shoulder gently. "Things will work out for both of us this time," He told her. "Trust me."

Amanda nodded and dropped her head to his shoulder, her best friend wrapping a comforting arm around her, but Nolan's optimism didn't offer her any solace. If only she could believe him…

 _I want to believe that people deserve second chances._

* * *

As Hailey raised her hand to knock on Spencer's door, she hesitated for a moment. She knew that what was coming next would not be easy. After taking a deep breath, she knocked.

 _But when you give someone another chance, they have the potential to abuse it._

The door opened and Spencer smiled when he saw her. "Hailey, hey. I was just about to call you…"

"I wanted to do this in person." Hailey explained. "Can we talk?"

"Sure. Hey, are you hungry? I didn't make any reservations, but there's this place around the block we could go to. I don't know how you feel about sushi…"

"Actually, that's what I came to talk to you about."

 _Sometimes people will take advantage of the kindness you show them._

Spencer looked confused. "Okay…you don't want to go to dinner?"

Hailey sighed. "Spencer, I…you know I like hanging out with you…"

At this, his face fell. "But…?"

"I love spending time with you," Hailey insisted. "You know I do. And I don't want you to think that there's something wrong with you, it's all on me…"

He laughed dryly. "It's not you, it's me? Really Hailey?"

"I mean it! I just…" She shook her head. "I can't get into a relationship right now. My life is too crazy. I'm sorry."

 _As the old saying goes: Fool me once, shame on you. But fool me twice…_

Spencer nodded and looked down. "Right. I…I understand."

"Spence…" Hailey started to say.

"I'll see you later." He said, before closing the door in her face.

… _then shame on me._


	11. Achilles' Heel

**A/N** : We're almost at the end! The next chapter is going to be the grand finale! But like I said, there will be a third installment in the _Revengers_ series. I've written three chapters of it so far and I'm not exactly sure when it will be finished - my birthday (February 19) is a Sunday this year so I would like to post the first chapter then, but that date is tentative and not set in stone. It might take me longer to finish the story, or maybe I'll just get impatient and decide to post it early haha. I'm going to do the same thing I did last time though and post a sneak peek of the next story once I know for sure when it's going to come out. But for now, just enjoy this chapter!

 **Disclaimer** : Yesterday I was watching _Revenge_ and thinking about how much I wished it was my show. Sadly it's not though.

* * *

 **April 5, 2017**

 **Southampton, New York**

 _In Greek mythology, Achilles was the son of Peleus and Thetis. As an infant, his mother dipped him in the River Styx – hoping to make her son immortal._

Olivia was aroused from sleep early Wednesday morning. The house was quiet as she got out of bed and walked into the living room. As she stood in the doorway she saw his figure hunched over his laptop, all the lights off and the glow from the screen reflected on his face. "Have you been up all night?"

 _However, she forgot to submerge the heel by which she held him._

Nolan jumped slightly when her voice abruptly cut into the silence, but when he turned around and saw it was just her he visibly relaxed. "I've just…been researching my mother."

Olivia walked over and looked at the screen over his shoulder. There was an old article from _The Wall Street Journal_ , which featured a picture of an older woman with graying blonde hair, surrounded by a team of security guards and looking panicked. Nolan's mother. _Congresswoman Elizabeth Miller Target Of Assassination Attempt_ the headline read.

 _With his inhuman power, Achilles eventually became one of the greatest of warriors – until in battle, his heel was pierced by an arrow. He perished from his injury._

"Someone attempted to shoot her at a rally thirteen years ago." Nolan explained. "Apparently some loon in the GOP didn't like her women's rights platform and decided she had to be done away with. Maybe she joined The Liberators for protection. She's a good person, Liv."

 _The phrase "Achilles' heel" has come to mean a person's greatest vulnerability – their sole mortal weakness. The one crack in their armor which has the power to destroy them._

Olivia closed her eyes and shook her head. She'd tried to tell him this so many times – now seemed to be her moment. "There's something you need to know." She told Nolan. "About your mother."

* * *

 _And we all have one – no matter how strong we may seem._

Most people felt weird when they were in cemeteries – uncomfortable, creeped out even. But for Amanda, they gave her a feeling of serenity. It was one of the few places where she could be alone with her thoughts. She made her way through the headstones, passing the familiar names and dates which she'd walked past so many times before, until finally she reached her father's marker.

 _David H. Clarke: Loving Father and Good Man_

 _July 11, 1961 – January 18, 2015_

A forlorn smile on her face, Amanda knelt down in the grass and placed the bouquet of white roses across the stone, replacing the now-withered flowers from her last visit. Typically she'd always bought the same kind of flower, but when she'd stopped by the florist the woman had told her that white roses represented not only reverence, but also new beginnings. They just seemed fitting, especially considering her situation, and that she was missing her father now possibly more than she ever had.

"Hey, Dad. I know it's been awhile – there's been a lot on my mind recently, and I haven't been able to visit as much. But I came today, because I just really wanted to tell you something..." She took a deep breath. "I'm pregnant, Dad. You're going to have a grandbaby. But well, maybe you already knew that – I'm not really sure how this afterlife thing works…" Amanda trailed off and stared at where her father's name was etched in stone, marking his final resting place, tears pricking her eyes. "I wish you were here, Dad. I'm...I'm scared. I don't know what's going to happen and...I feel like if anyone could make me feel better, it would be you. But you're gone, and all these people I love are gone, and if I lost...if I lose…"

The first tear rolled down Amanda's cheek and she wiped it away, willing herself not to cry, because she knew that if she did she probably wouldn't be able to stop. "Look Dad," She whispered. "I – I don't know if I believe in Heaven, or God, or any of that stuff. But if you're out there somewhere and you can hear me right now...just please, _please_ look out for us, okay? All I want is my baby to be safe, and if you could pull some strings out in the great beyond or whatever...I would really really appreciate it." Then with a melancholy smile, she traced her finger over his epitaph: _loving father and good man_. "I love you, Dad. And I miss you every day." With that Amanda rose to her feet and, after one last look over her shoulder, she began to make her way back towards her car.

As she walked through the graveyard, Amanda let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. She knew there was still another person who she really needed to tell.

Jack.

* * *

Hailey sighed dramatically and swiveled in her barstool. "Spencer still isn't answering any of my calls."

From the seat next to her, Charlotte looked up from her phone screen and shrugged. "He probably just needs time. Don't worry about it."

"I did give him time!" Hailey said. "But now it's been a week and he still won't talk to me!"

"He's your friend, he'll get over it."

After a moment's pause, Hailey took one final sip of her Coke and then stood up. "I'm not going to just sit around and wait." She proclaimed. "I'm going to make Spencer forgive me."

"Okay…" Charlotte said, and her friend walked out of the beach club with determination. "Bye to you too!" She smiled to herself and looked back at her phone. She hoped those two crazy kids would make up soon...

"Can I buy you a drink?"

She looked up again and smiled when she saw Drew, standing behind her with his hands in his pockets and a smirk on his lips. "Okay…" She said. "But why do I have a feeling that you're up to something?"

Drew said nothing as he took the stool Hailey had just vacated and signaled the bartender. "The lady will have a Sex On The Beach."

Charlotte laughed. "I promise I won't throw it on you this time, okay?" Drew cracked a grin.

"You're right," He said, once the bartender had dropped off Charlotte's drink and left. "I do have a bit of an ulterior motive."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "Oh?"

"I want you to go on a date with me."

Charlotte took a sip of her drink. "Okay, I don't understand. We've been on dates before. What's the big deal?"

"Having sex in a bathroom stall doesn't count." Drew said, eliciting an eye roll from Charlotte. "I mean, I know we _did_ get dinner but that was to talk about whether or not we were back together or not so I don't think that really counts. I want this to be a real date. With romance. After my little freak out last week…you deserve it. So why don't you put on your favorite dress, and I'll pick you up at six?"

Slowly, she smiled. "Okay then. It's a date."

* * *

After about half an hour, Olivia returned to the living room. Nolan looked up as she rejoined him on the couch, clenching something in her hands which he could not see. "Are you going to tell me what's going on?" He asked.

Olivia was silent for a moment, unable to meet his eyes. "Remember when I told you my reasons for not telling you about Hailey were more complicated than you knew?"

He shook his head. "Olivia, that doesn't matter anymore…"

"Yes it does." She cut him off firmly, silencing him immediately. "Nolan I…I did try to tell you about Hailey. After she was born, I felt so guilty for keeping you from her. I wanted to give you a chance to be in her life."

"So why didn't you?"

Olivia hesitated for a moment. "That's the thing, I…I did."

Nolan gave her a look. "What?"

She sighed and explained. "When Hailey was nine months old, I sent you a letter. Telling you about her, that you were her father. That's why my ex-husband left me – he found it and he realized that I was still in love with you. But then the response I got…it was a check. For $100,000. And a note saying that I should never speak to you again."

By this point, Nolan was even more confused. He shook his head. "Olivia…I never got the letter. And I never told you to stay away from me."

"I know that now." She looked down and handed the thing she had been holding to him – it was a piece of paper that she had folded up. When he opened it, he saw the short message written on it: _DO NOT CONTACT US EVER AGAIN_. "At the time, I really thought you wanted nothing to do with me – or Hailey, for that matter." Olivia explained. "I didn't blame you for hating me after what I'd done, so I decided to raise Hailey by myself. I used the money to move us to New York City for a new start. But then when you asked me if Hailey was your daughter back on Memorial Day…I realized that you hadn't been the one to send me the note. I panicked, and that's why I told you she wasn't yours. It was a stupid, spur of the moment lie. I wanted to take it back and tell you the truth so many times after that, but I thought it was too late."

"I still don't understand," He said, staring at the message in his hand. "If I didn't get your letter…then who did?"

Olivia was silent for a moment. "When I sent the letter, you were still living with your mother. I looked up your address and I…sent the letter to her house."

Nolan looked up at her. "You think my mother paid you off?"

"Well who else would it have been Nolan?"

He crumpled up the note in his hand. "No." He said. "I don't believe it. My mother wouldn't have done this. She wouldn't have kept my daughter from me!"

Tentatively, Olivia scooted over until there was no space between them. She placed her hand on top of Nolan's clenched fist, which was squeezing the note into a ball. "Look." She whispered. "I know it hurts but…you need to accept the fact that you may not know your mother as well as you think you do. Not anymore."

* * *

As the final bell rang to announce the end of AM pre-K, little Carl Porter raced out of school excitedly alongside the rest of his classmates. He scanned the crowd, looking for his daddy's truck – Jack usually picked him up from school, but today he didn't see him. Suddenly, Carl's eyes went wide with glee when he spotted a familiar face. "Mommy!"

Amanda grinned and knelt down to his level, just in time for the four year old to reach her, wrapping his arms around her neck in a big hug. "Hey, buddy." She said. "How was school?"

"Great!" The child answered excitably. "I'm happy to see you, Mommy!"

Amanda couldn't contain her smile. "I'm happy to see you too, buddy. You know you're my favorite boy, right? Just don't tell Daddy, I don't want him to be jealous." Carl giggled, and together they walked back to the car hand-in-hand.

Her stepson began to talk happily about his day as Amanda buckled him into his car seat, and it was almost like a weight was lifted off her shoulders. The very presence of Carl's eternal joy was infectious, and helped her push her worries to the back of her mind. "How about," She proposed. "We go get some ice cream?" Carl nodded vigorously in response. "It'll be our little secret, okay?"

Once Carl was securely fastened she climbed into the driver's seat and started to pull out of the parking lot, her stepson chatting away in the backseat. When they reached the stoplight Amanda glanced down discreetly at her still flat stomach.

She was trying not to think about how she was keeping little secrets from her husband in more ways than one.

* * *

It was early afternoon when Spencer was surprised to hear a knocking at his door. "Who's there?" He called out, only to receive no answer. Curiosity getting the best of him, he put his laptop to the side and rose to answer it.

When he opened the door, he was surprised to see no one standing there. It was only when he looked down that he saw what had been left for him.

He knelt down and picked up the fast food bag which had been left on his doorstep. On the outside was a note, and he ripped it off to read.

 _Spence,_

 _I'm really sorry that I hurt you. Believe me when I tell you that it was the last thing that I wanted to do. I didn't want to ruin our friendship, and in the end that's exactly what I did. I know you probably don't want anything to do with me, but please accept this peace offering. I know you always promised to buy me a burger someday, but I figured I owed you one._

 _(Oh, and I even got you a gross vanilla shake. Even though anyone with half a brain knows that chocolate is supreme.)_

– _Hailey_

Spencer couldn't help but crack a smile – he honestly hadn't expected her to remember that conversation they'd had at Amanda and Jack's anniversary party back when they barely knew each other.

He was still smiling as he took the bag and went back inside.

* * *

As they sat outside the creamery along the pier, Amanda glanced across the table and watched Carl happily eat his ice cream, talking about his day. His glee warmed her heart. With a slight smile on her face, she took another spoonful – she had to admit, she'd hadn't just suggested this trip for Carl's benefit. She was totally craving peanut butter ripple. With Oreos. And gummy bears. (Hey, she couldn't help it – she was pregnant after all.)

"And," Carl said, probably starting his fifth sentence in a row with that conjunction. "Our class rabbit had bunnies – a brother and sister! They're really cute, and we're having a competition to see what we're going to name them!"

Amanda smiled at him. "That sounds great, honey."

Carl paused, and looked up at her innocently. "Mommy?"

"Mmhm?"

"Am I ever going to have a brother or a sister?"

Amanda dropped her spoon, caught off guard, while her stepson looked at her with his big, brown eyes, waiting for an answer. Carl obviously didn't know about her fertility struggles in the past, and a few months ago this question probably would've elicited a very different response from her. "Maybe," She said coyly. "Can I ask you something, Carl?" He nodded emphatically. "Do you think I'm a good mommy?"

Carl's face lit up. "Yeah! You're the best mommy ever!"

"And you know I love you, right?"

Carl grinned. "I love you too, Mommy." Amanda smiled and took another spoonful of ice cream.

Maybe this baby thing would work out after all...

* * *

"We're going to the beach club?"

Drew shushed his girlfriend, his hand in hers as he led her towards the door. "Hold on, I have a surprise for you."

Charlotte sighed impatiently as Drew opened the door. She could see it was dark and it was clear no one was there. Which was weird, because it wasn't that late and the beach club was usually open to eleven. "Drew, what's - "

She cut herself off when they walked inside and gasped audibly. The lights were all off, the beach club instead illuminated by several candles. The tables had been rearranged to make room for a blanket and pillows on the floor, and there was a picnic basket nearby. She could hear the fire crackling in the fireplace. "I may or may not have asked Jack for a favor." Drew admitted.

"Oh my God." Charlotte gasped. "I love it! This is perfect."

Drew smiled and the two of them sat down on the blanket. He picked up the picnic basket and opened it, revealing a bottle of wine and sandwiches cut into little squares. "I hope you don't mind peanut butter and jelly, because out of the whopping four things I know how to make it travels the best."

She giggled. "Sounds great."

As Charlotte began to eat in silence, Drew poured each of them a drink. He looked at her for a moment, the candles casting a glow on half her face, before finally speaking again. "You know, there is a reason that I wanted to do this tonight…"

She swallowed and looked up at him. "Oh yeah? You trying to get lucky or something? Because it might work." They both chuckled, but Drew's laughter quickly died down.

The knot of anxiety in his stomach tightened. There was something he wanted to say to her – something he'd wanted to say to her for a long time now. Something he'd never said to anyone. It was why he'd been so freaked out last week. This was a big deal for him. But he knew he had to be honest with her, no matter how scary it was.

"Drew?" Charlotte said, concern in her tone after he'd said nothing for a few moments. "Are you okay?"

He opened his mouth but...nothing came out. Charlotte was still looking at him, eyebrow raised. Drew forced a smile and shook his head. "I just, uh…I really wanted to do something nice for you, you know? You deserve it."

* * *

Amanda watched as the candles flickered on the dining room table as she waited for Jack to get home from the bar. She felt like she might throw up, and it wasn't because of the morning sickness – she was telling Jack, _tonight_. In preparation she'd cooked dinner (it came out pretty good too), changed into a little red dress that probably wouldn't fit her in a couple of weeks, and had sent Carl upstairs to play after he'd had his own food. Feeling anxious, she shifted her silverware to make sure it was lined up perfectly. She wasn't worried about how Jack would take her news, but the uncertainty was still getting to her – she didn't like being in situations where she had no control over the outcome.

She heard the sound of the front door open and sat up a little straighter. "Hey Am, sorry I'm late. Something came u–" Jack trailed off when he saw the set-up. "What's all this?"

"Dinner," Amanda said with a smile.

Jack laughed nervously and walked over to the table, examining its contents. "Wine too? On a weeknight?" Amanda nodded – well, his was wine, hers was grape juice. But obviously he didn't know that. "Okay, what did you do?"

"Nothing – can't a wife just want to do something nice for her husband?"

Jack pulled out his chair and sat down, still seeming a little skeptical of her out of the blue gesture. "Well it looks great. Especially after the long day I've had." He picked up his fork to take a bite. "Huh, this is actually really good. You made all this?"

Amanda smirked. "Don't sound so surprised," They both laughed, but then Amanda grew serious. She placed her fork down forcefully and it clattered against the edge of the plate. "Actually, there are some things I want to talk to you about…"

"You know, you were right earlier," Jack told her, clearly not picking up on the gravity in her voice. "We should do things like this for each other more often – I mean we're _married_. We've both been so busy, but now that Carl's in school...We should make more time for ourselves. Just the two of us. Doesn't that sound good?" Amanda's stomach dropped at the statement, but she forced herself to smile.

This whole time, she had never – not once – worried about how Jack would react. She'd figured that he'd always wanted more kids, but it had never been something they'd talked about, so it wasn't like she knew for sure. Carl was still so much for them, especially given all the work they'd been doing for Nolan recently, and they hadn't even been married for two years... Come to think of it, for the entire duration of her and Jack's relationship, it had _never_ been just the two of them – Carl had always been along for the ride. And just when Carl was starting to get older and more independent, she was unexpectedly pregnant. It wasn't like they'd planned it or anything. And now, in Amanda's scared, hormonal state, she couldn't help but wonder...what if Jack _didn't_ want this?

"I'm sorry," He said, shaking his head and picking up his wine glass. "Were you saying something?"

Amanda gulped and looked down. "Nothing," She said. "Nothing at all…"

* * *

As soon as Hailey walked through the door, her phone immediately rang. She kicked off her shoes, smiling when she saw the caller ID. She answered it immediately. "Spencer, hey."

"I got your gift," Spencer said, and Hailey grinned.

"And how was your gross vanilla shake?" Hailey asked.

Spencer chuckled. "It was delicious – much better than your gross chocolate shakes." They both laughed.

"Look," Hailey said finally. "Spencer, I…"

"You were right," He interjected. "You have a lot going on and it's not a good time. And I'm really sorry I acted like I did towards you. Can we still be friends?"

Hailey smiled. "We never stopped being friends."

After she and Spencer said goodbye and hung up, Hailey started to walk through the house. "Anybody home?" It looked like it was empty, but she'd seen Nolan's car parked in the driveway. "Nolan?" After receiving no answer, Hailey walked over towards the kitchen. Seeing no one, she was about to turn around and go upstairs when she caught sight of something out of the corner of her eye.

Hailey pushed open the glass doors and stepped out into the backyard. Outside it was cool and starting to get dark. She saw Nolan sitting on a chair near the tarp-covered pool, staring at something in his hands. "Hey," She called out softly. "Are you alright?"

Nolan looked up and half-smiled at her as Hailey took the seat next to him. "Just thinking," As she sat down, Hailey caught a glimpse of what he was holding – a photo of a little blonde boy, in the arms of a stoic looking woman. Nolan and his mother. "What's going on?"

Nolan frowned and put the photo into his pocket. "I just keep thinking about every memory of my mother I have," He explained. "Turning them over and over again in my mind...looking for any kind of sign that could help me now."

Hailey sighed. "Grandmother dearest…"

He looked down at his lap. "I want so badly to believe that she's just doing what she has to do – that she's always just wanted what's best for me. But knowing that she kept you from me...I honestly don't know what happened to the person I used to know."

Hailey touched his hand. "No matter what happens, we'll be here for you. Regardless of what your mother did, you still have a family – me, Mom, Amanda, Jack, Charlotte, Spencer, Drew, Louise...we're your family. And we're always going to be here for you, Dad."

Nolan looked up suddenly as her words sunk in – well, one word in particular. "Did you just...did you just call me Dad?"

"Yeah. Is that okay with you?"

A smile making its way to his face, he leaned over to hug her tightly. "That's more than okay with me." He told her. "I love you so much, Hailey. And I don't want you to ever doubt how much I care about you."

She smiled, and buried her face into the side of his neck. "I love you too, Dad."

 _We all have a weak spot._

* * *

 _A thing – or perhaps a person – that could possibly do us in._

It was almost the end of visiting hours when Olivia arrived at Rikers. Chamberlain was escorted into the room just as she began to get settled, and it was clear the guard who was with him was paying them no attention – all he cared about was getting home.

Chamberlain gave her a weak attempt at a smile. "Nice to see you again, Liv."

She leaned forward, her elbows on the table. "Look, we don't have much time. We need to talk more about Elizabeth Miller."

Chamberlain scoffed. "This again? Why are you and Lover Boy so obsessed with Elizabeth –"

Olivia cut him off. "Does it matter? Nolan and I are the reason why you're not in here for murder right now. So if I ask you to tell me about Elizabeth Miller, you better tell me about Elizabeth Miller."

Chamberlain gave her the first genuine smile he'd had in a while. "You know I love it when you take control, Liv."

 _Achilles was the greatest, noblest warrior – but even he was only a mere mortal._

Olivia took a deep breath. "Brett – is there any chance, any chance at all, that Elizabeth Miller is a good person?"

He lifted a shoulder. "I can tell you that she is a powerful person. She's been with The Liberators for as long as I've been there, at least. Maybe longer. And from what I understand, she's…influential. She has Ryan North under her thumb." He glanced at the guard behind them, who was completely zoned out, and lowered his voice. "I don't trust them. Either of them."

 _None of us are untouchable, no matter how strong we think we are._

His words sent a chill down Olivia's spine. "Do you think…do you think they'd try to harm us?"

"I think," Chamberlain said. "That you can't underestimate them. The Liberators took out McKenzie – and they won't hesitate to take out anyone who stands in their way. They've already tried to ruin your life once. They obviously have something against you. You think they wouldn't try to get rid of you again?" Olivia's stomach dropped. "Do you have a pen?"

She was caught off guard by his seemingly random request, but reached into her purse for a ballpoint pen and her notebook. "What –"

Chamberlain grabbed them both from her – his hands being unshackled tonight – and began to scribble something down on the corner of a random page. He then ripped it out and handed everything back to her. "Here. I know someone who can…take care of your problem."

Olivia's brow wrinkled in confusion as she read what he had written. It was a name, followed by a phone number. She didn't recognize either. "Brett, what is this?"

 _If our enemy discovered our Achilles' heel…_

He placed his hand on top of hers, and when she looked up their eyes locked. His looked haunted. "You need to get rid of them, Liv. Before they can get rid of you. Your whole family's safety could be at stake."

… _it would be fatal._


	12. Blood Ties

**A/N** : Welp, this is the last chapter of this story. I know it's bittersweet, and February seems like a very long way away. But hey, maybe the next story will come out even sooner than that! It really just depends on how inspired I am, and like I said I'll post a sneak peek of the next story here once we get closer. And I can tell you now that the third part in this series will be entitled _Blood and Water_. There's going to be lots of family drama in this one, guys! And I may or may not have some teasers at the end of the chapter for you...

 **Disclaimer** : This is just a fanfiction peeps I don't own anything.

* * *

 **April 9, 2017**

 **Southampton, New York**

 _There is a saying that blood is thicker than water._

"Morning, Dad."

Nolan looked up from his coffee and newspaper as Hailey walked into the kitchen. He was still getting used to hearing her call him that, and it brought a smile to his face every time. "Morning."

After pouring herself a cup of coffee, Hailey sat down at the kitchen table next to him. Nolan had gone back to reading and she hesitated for a moment, stirring her coffee longer than necessary to kill time. "Dad?" She said finally. "Can I talk to you about something?"

 _People use it to mean that your family is more important than the bonds you form on your own._

When Nolan looked at her again, she was biting her lip – hard. He could see that she was serious. "Of course." He said. "What's going on?"

Hailey paused and she was obviously nervous. "I've just been thinking about something, and I wanted to get your opinion on it. I was thinking about…changing my last name."

 _But does blood really make a family?_

Nolan didn't know what he had expected her to say – but this definitely wasn't it. He could only stare at her, dumbfounded. "To…to…"

"To Ross," Hailey said, with a tentative smile. "You know, if that's okay with you."

He grinned, and squeezed her hand. "Of course that's okay with me. Hailey, I would love it if you had my last name." Her smile widened at his words. "But also…I don't want you to feel like this is something you _have_ to do. If you want to keep your name, that's fine too."

She nodded. "I know. And it is a big decision – I just wanted to make sure you were okay with it before anything's final. And I need to talk to Mom too, because I don't want to hurt her feelings…"

"Whose feelings don't you want to hurt?"

 _Just because you are related…_

The father and daughter both looked up as Olivia walked into the kitchen. Unlike the two of them, she was already out of her pajamas and dressed for the day as she poured some coffee into a travel mug. "Mom," Hailey said. "I umm, want to talk to you about something…"

"Can it wait until later, honey?" Olivia asked. "I…have an appointment this morning, and I'm already running late. But we can talk tonight."

Hailey forced a smile. "Yeah…sure."

"Where are you going?" Nolan asked her curiously, and Olivia waved him off.

"Oh, it's nothing for you to be concerned with." Olivia said a little too quickly. "I'll see you both later?" The two nodded, Olivia not even bothering to wait for their responses before she headed out.

Once she was gone, the two of them looked at each other. Both of them couldn't help but wonder – what had gotten into her?

… _doesn't necessarily mean you treat each other like you should._

* * *

"Wait, you _still_ haven't told him?"

Amanda flinched as Charlotte's volume rose on the other end of their phone call. "Keep your voice down," She whispered. "It just hasn't been the right time…"

"Are you kidding me?" Her sister said. "Amanda, it's his baby too! He has a right to know!"

"I _will_ tell him!" Amanda insisted. She leaned forward so she could peer through the open doorway, just to make sure that neither Jack nor Carl were coming and she was still alone. "It's…it's a lot for me to deal with, Char. I feel like I'm on an emotional rollercoaster and I don't know what to do. I'll tell him soon, I just need to figure out…how."

Charlotte sighed. She knew better than to argue with the hormonal pregnant woman. "Okay. I'll talk to you later, alright?"

They said goodbye and Amanda hung up the phone. She pushed off the bed and was about to go downstairs to join the rest of her family when suddenly she felt a wave of nausea overcome her. A hand flying over her mouth, she made it to the master bathroom and hunched over the toilet just as she began puking. She'd thought she'd finally gotten over morning sickness, but evidently not.

She heard the sound of footsteps on the stairs, followed by Jack calling her name. Amanda wanted to yell back that she was fine, but she was overcome with another fit of nausea that rendered her unresponsive. A moment later she heard Jack come into the bathroom and he knelt down beside her, rubbing circles on her back.

Finally Amanda sat up, flushing and wiping her mouth off with toilet paper. When she turned to Jack, he was looking at her worriedly. "Are you okay?" He asked. "You've been sick for two weeks now."

She forced a smile. "It's nothing. I went to the doctor, and he said it's just a long-term bug thing. Nothing to worry about, really." She stood up and squeezed his shoulder. "Come on, we can't sit here on the floor all day."

Amanda turned and walked out of the room, but Jack hesitated. Even though he wanted to believe her, he couldn't shake the feeling that she was lying.

* * *

Louise usually didn't come into the office on Sundays, but when she'd found some paperwork she'd forgotten to file she'd decided to head in. Anything that took her mind off her stalker was a welcome distraction.

She had already passed by Nolan's office when she suddenly did a double take. She stepped backwards and froze in the doorway. "Olivia?"

The other woman looked up in surprise at the sound of her name. Louise noticed that she had a square of paper in front of her, but Olivia pushed it away immediately. "Hi," She said. "What are you doing here?"

"I just came to file some paperwork…" Louise said, walking into Nolan's office. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, you know," Olivia said, waving her off. "I was just…picking up something for Nolan that he forgot."

"What?"

She hesitated for a moment. "His…his pen." She grabbed a seemingly random one and held it up as evidence. "And now that I got it for him, I have to go. Bye, Louise."

"Bye…" Louise watched Olivia grab her purse and go, but she wasn't convinced. Did she really expect her to believe that she'd come here just for a pen?

When she turned back around, she noticed something – Olivia had forgotten the paper she'd been staring at behind, leaving it face down on the table. Curiosity overcoming her, Louise picked it up.

The message only made Louise even more confused. _315-600-7171_. Whose phone number was this and why did Olivia have it?

Pulling out her cell, Louise dialed the number and lifted the phone to her ear. It went right to voicemail, and a voice she'd never heard before sent chills down her spine. _You've reached Ken's line. You know what to do._

* * *

Charlotte emerged from her bedroom late that morning after her call with Amanda, her hair slightly mused and wearing nothing but Drew's Columbia shirt. She spotted her boyfriend in the apartment's kitchen, his face obscured by an open copy of _The New York Times_ and his morning cup of coffee on the table. She smiled and walked over, catching him by surprise when she pressed a kiss to his cheek. "Good morning."

Drew smiled too and folded his paper up, turning his attention to her. "I'm never going to get that shirt back, am I?"

Charlotte laughed and poured herself a cup of coffee. "It's the first thing you ever gave me. Not to mention I love how comfortable it is."

Looking at his cute as a button girlfriend, standing there and looking hot as all Hell in his clothes, the words just came flying out of Drew's mouth before he could stop them. "I love you."

Charlotte almost dropped her coffee cup.

She spun around, eyes wide, and Drew only stared at her – he too was shocked by what he had just said. He'd never told Charlotte that he loved her before – he'd never told _anyone_ that he loved them before. He'd wanted the first time he told Charlotte he loved her to be special but well…it was too late now.

"I, umm…" Charlotte stammered, placing her untouched mug down on the counter. "I'm sorry I…I just remembered I was supposed to meet Amanda this morning and I'm already running late."

Drew frowned. This wasn't how he'd wanted to do it, but regardless he'd just told her that he _loved_ her. And all she had to say was this? "Charlotte, I –" He started to say, but before he could finish she walked back to her bedroom and slammed the door.

* * *

That afternoon, Hailey sat at one of the tables at the beach club, fidgeting anxiously as she waited for Olivia to arrive. She'd asked her mother to meet her for lunch today and she'd agreed. She wanted to talk to her – about possibly changing her last name. Hailey was nervous just thinking about it.

Olivia walked in then and smiled when she saw Hailey, walking over towards her. "Hi, honey. Sorry I'm late." Hailey rose to her feet so she could hug her, and then they both sat down, one at each side of the table. "So," Olivia said, taking a sip of her water. "What did you want to talk about?"

Hailey hesitated for a moment and nervously tugged on her ear. "Well…I've been thinking. About this whole thing with Dad..."

Olivia smiled hesitantly. "I don't think I've ever heard you call him 'Dad' before…"

Hailey smiled too, but it was fleeting. "Look, I…I've just been thinking about all those years we lost…how he wants us to be a family…"

Olivia looked down, seeming ashamed. "I really am sorry about that, Hailes. I'd go back in time if I could…"

"It's not about that," Hailey cut her off, and Olivia looked up again. She paused for a moment, and then decided to just do it – just rip off the Band-Aid. "I was thinking about changing my last name to Ross."

Hailey bit her lip, anticipating her mother's response, but Olivia just looked at her silently for a moment before speaking. "I guess I should've seen this coming."

"Mom, if it really hurts your feelings, I won't do it. That's why I wanted to talk to you about it first…"

Olivia shook her head at her. "Oh honey, no. Nolan's your father, and you should've had his last name from the start…Really, I understand." She leaned forward and placed her hand on top of her daughter's. "Hailey, all I want is for you to be happy. That's all I've ever wanted for you, ever since you were born. And if becoming a Ross makes you happy, then it makes me happy too."

Hailey nodded and looked down at the tabletop. Her mother was trying to be considerate, but inadvertently she'd made this decision even more complicated. Olivia had raised Hailey. Olivia had made so many sacrifices for her. Olivia had been willing to go to prison for a crime she didn't commit if pleading guilty meant she could see Hailey again someday. Olivia had always put Hailey's happiness above her own, and it was what she was doing now.

Did she really want to become a Ross if it meant she couldn't be an Anderson anymore?

* * *

Meanwhile across the beach club, Amanda returned from waiting tables and placed an empty tray down on the bar. "Hey," She said to Jack. "Since we're not really busy, do you mind if I duck out? Run some errands?"

He looked up at her and shrugged. "Umm…no, that's fine." His wife smiled and turned to leave, but he called her back. "But hey, before you go – Dr. Stevens's office called the home phone. To confirm your appointment for next week…Is everything okay?"

Amanda gave him a forced smile. "Of course – it's just a routine check-up." It wasn't exactly a lie – now that she was pregnant, her cardiologist wanted her to have regular appointments to make sure her donated heart was holding up, especially considering she couldn't take her usual dose of medication while pregnant. She wasn't lying, she was just…withholding some of the truth. "I'll see you at home, okay? Love you."

"Love you too…" Jack said uneasily. Amanda had already turned and headed for the door before he could even reply. As he watched her go, all he could think was that this wasn't sitting right with him. Once she was gone, Jack pulled out his phone and typed a search into Google. As he read, his heart sank.

 _Possible signs and symptoms of heart rejection may include:_

 _* Shortness of breath_

 _* Flu-like symptoms such as chills, aches, dizziness, nausea, or vomiting_

 _* Increased weight or swelling_

 _* Weakness or fatigue_

Were Amanda's recent health problems a lot more serious than she was letting on?

* * *

"Are you sure this is the right place?"

Louise checked the address on her phone one more time. "This is it…"

Nolan looked around worriedly as he and Louise exited his car – the neighborhood they'd ended up in looked shady to say the least, and half of him was convinced that his car wouldn't be there when they got back. "Maybe we should just go talk to Olivia." He said. "There has to be a good explanation for this…"

"For why she has the phone number of some creepy guy who asked us to meet at a place where we're probably going to get mugged?"

It had been Louise's idea to call the number Olivia had and ask the man – whoever he was – for an appointment. Whatever Olivia was doing seemed secretive, and this was their only way to find out what she was up to. She'd asked Nolan to tag along because she knew that whatever this was, it was probably something he needed to know about.

As the two halves of the Wonder Twins walked inside the hole in the wall bar, they both resisted the urge to cough as cigarette smoke assaulted their noses. It was dark inside and smoky – it looked ominous. Louise scanned the room and nudged Nolan when she saw someone staring at them. "In the corner," She whispered, and Nolan glanced that way. Sitting there was a bald, burly man, with muscular arms covered in tattoos and black facial hair – it had to be him.

Together the two of them walked over to his booth, and Louise cleared her throat nervously. "Are you…are you Ken?"

"Mmhm. At least, for right now anyway." He nodded across the table. "Sit."

Both of them trying to hide their uneasiness, Nolan and Louise sat down. "So," Nolan said, feigning confidence. "How exactly does this…work?"

"I need $3,000 up front," The man – "Ken" – explained. "Then double that when the job is over. It's a lot, but I'm an expert – none of this will get traced back to you. And your problem…will be gone."

Louise felt her face blanch. "You're…you're a hitman?"

He looked at them, his expression hardening. "Are you cops? Because if this is a set up I swear to God…"

Nolan stood up quickly, and Louise anxiously followed suit. "I'm sorry…this is all a huge misunderstanding. Here." He reached into his pocket and fumbled for his wallet, not looking away from the much larger man's angry face as he slapped several hundreds on the table. "A little something for your trouble. Now we have to go. Come on Louise." Her eyes wide as saucers, the Southern belle followed him as he made a beeline for the exit.

Once they finally reached the (relatively) safety of the street, they both exhaled. "What the Hell just happened?" Louise breathed. "Why would Olivia have a hitman's number?"

Nolan looked down at the ground, a sinking feeling in his gut. "…I think I know."

* * *

After leaving the beach club, Amanda just walked for a little bit. She really wasn't going anywhere, with no particular destination in mind – she just wanted to clear her head. She ended up finding herself along the docks. It was a clear day and the boats were all lined up in a perfect, glimmering row. She paused when she reached a particular one, _The Infinity_ bobbing in the water where it was tied to port. A tentative smile made its way to Amanda's face as she looked at the boat which her late father had painstakingly restored and she and her husband had taken for their honeymoon. It seemed like so long ago now…

"Hey."

Amanda was roused from her trance when she heard a familiar voice call out to her. She turned around and spotted Charlotte, making her way towards her. "Hey," She said, pleasantly surprised to see her sister. "How did you know I was here?"

"I didn't," Charlotte sighed, reaching her now. The two sisters hugged quickly in greeting. "I just went on a walk to have a moment to myself…to think…"

"Well, that makes two of us."

Charlotte gave Amanda a pointed look. "Did you tell Jack yet?"

At her words, her sister exhaled. "No, I didn't."

Charlotte shook her head at her. "Oh, Amanda…Why? You've had two weeks."

Amanda cast a glance at _The Infinity_ over her shoulder, a sick feeling in her stomach. "What about you?" She asked, evading the subject. "Why do you need time to think?"

Charlotte bit her lip, hesitating. "Drew told me he loved me this morning."

"Really? Charlotte, that's wonderful."

"No, it's not."

"Well you love him too, don't you?"

The younger Clarke sister looked at the ground. "I honestly don't remember the last time a guy told me he loved me and actually _meant_ it. It was probably…" She trailed off, unable to say his name, but it was clear both women were thinking the same thing. _Declan_. "And we all know how that turned out. Drew has already been through so much hardship, and he deserves a good life…I can't help but worry that I'm too damaged for him. That I'll just destroy him like I've done so many times before."

Amanda sighed. "I don't like this – not being in control." She admitted. "If I tell Jack, then it's all out of my hands. Maybe he won't want the baby. Or maybe he will, but I'll have a miscarriage…"

Charlotte reached over and pulled her sister in for a reassuring hug. Amanda hesitantly smiled and squeezed her back. "Everything is going to work out for you this time, I know it." She said. "Jack is going to be so happy. And I will spoil my little niece rotten…"

Amanda pulled away and playfully rolled her eyes at Charlotte's stubborn insistence that the baby was a girl. "You are not going to destroy Drew, Charlotte. And you didn't destroy Declan either. I know what it feels like to have a man tell you he loves you when you think you don't deserve him – but if you stop yourself from being with him just because you're scared, the only one you're screwing over is yourself."

The younger girl gave her a weak half-smile, looking teary-eyed. "Us Clarke girls are both pretty damaged, aren't we?"

Amanda smiled and wrapped an arm around Charlotte's shoulder comfortingly. "Yeah, we are. But luckily we found men who love us anyway." Their tender moment was interrupted by the ping of Amanda's phone, and when she glanced at the screen her brow furrowed. "Charlotte, why did Spencer just text me to congratulate me on my pregnancy?" When she looked at Charlotte, her sister was biting her lip. "Did you tell Spencer?"

"No!" She insisted, but Amanda clearly didn't buy this. "...I told Drew, and he told Spencer." Amanda gave her a pointed glare, and Charlotte smiled sheepishly. "My bad?"

* * *

Once again, Hailey found herself standing outside the door to Spencer's place. Ever since he got out of the hospital, she'd found herself visiting him more and more often, but she hadn't showed up unannounced since their argument. When Spencer opened the door, she smiled.

"Hailey, hey. I'd say what a surprise, if this wasn't like the tenth time you've showed up at my door in two months."

"Oh, well I can go…" Hailey said teasingly.

Spencer laughed. "No, it's fine. Come on in." She followed him inside and he didn't even have to tell her to make herself at home. It was the same routine as usual – Hailey sat down on the couch, Spencer in the adjacent chair. "So, what's up?"

"Couldn't I have just wanted to stop by and see you?" Spencer raised an eyebrow at her – she sounded like she was lying. Hailey paused. "We used to be close, Spence. I don't want that to stop."

Spencer smiled weakly – okay, that last part sounded sincere. "And I want that too, Hailey. But I know that's not why you're here."

Hailey let out a breath, looking down at her lap. "I just wanted to get your opinion on something." Spencer only looked at her, waiting for her to continue. "I was thinking about changing my last name – to Ross."

"I think that's great," Spencer said. "But why are you asking me this?"

"Because I trust your opinion more than…more than anyone else's, really. Whenever I have a problem, you're the person I want to talk to about it." Hailey explained, and that made him smile. "The thing is – I thought I wanted to change my name. I know it would make Nolan happy, and my whole life I always wondered what it would be like to have my dad's name…But I'm worried about my mom. She raised me by herself all these years. She always took care of me, and looked out for me. I don't want her to feel like I'm leaving her behind." She shook her head. "I feel like I have to choose one parent or the other, you know?"

Spencer leaned forward and placed his hand on top of hers. "Olivia and Nolan both love you, Hailes. You think it matters to them what your last name is? Don't worry about them. You should just do what feels right."

Suddenly, an idea dawned on Hailey. A smile making its way to her face, she pulled away to whip out her phone.

"What are you doing?" Spencer asked curiously.

"You'll see," She said, as she composed a group message.

 _Everyone: dinner at our place tonight. Six-thirty. Big announcement to make!_

* * *

After dropping Louise off at her place, Nolan made the trek to the beach club, physically and emotionally drained. When he walked inside he found Jack tending bar and he slipped into one of the stools. "I need something with lots of liquor, stat."

Jack picked up a glass. "Vodka martini, extra vodka?"

He sighed contently. "This is why we're friends."

Jack chuckled lightly as he fixed him his drink. "Bad day?"

"You don't know the half of it," Nolan said. He hesitated, watching Jack filled up the glass, before continuing. "I'm worried about Olivia. I think she might be going down a path she can't come back from."

Jack hesitated, before placing the drink down in front of his friend. "Look, I don't know what the situation is, but let me give you my two cents. If you believe in Olivia, then you have to trust that she'll make the right decision in the end. But if you're worried that she's veering off course, it's okay to help guide her back on track. To remind her the kind of person she is, and that there's still people around who care about her."

Nolan nodded and took a long swig of his martini. "Thanks. I know you probably went through the same thing with Ams way back when, so it means a lot…"

The other man was silent for a moment, clenching the edge of the bar. "Yeah, while we're on the subject of being worried about Amanda…" Nolan gave him a look over the rim of his glass. Jack paused for a moment, dreading how Nolan might answer the question he was about to ask. "I think…she might be rejecting her heart. Do you know anything about that?"

Nolan looked away and downed the rest of his drink in one long gulp, before standing up. "You know I love you Jack, but I also love Ams. I made a promise to her that I'd stay out of it, so…" He shrugged. "You really need to talk to her about that."

* * *

That night, the entire gang arrived at Nolan's for dinner, as Hailey had requested. But as all her friends and family trickled in, surely wondering why they'd been asked to come over, Hailey suddenly felt nervous. When Spencer walked into the kitchen to check up on her, he found her staring at the timer on the stove, appearing tense. "Hey," He said. "Are you okay?"

Hailey looked up, eyes wide with panic. "Are you sure this is a good idea?" She asked. "Maybe we should just send everyone home. We probably should. This was a bad idea…" She was rambling now and Spencer stepped forward, placing a hand on each of her shoulders.

"Hailey," He said firmly, cutting her off mid-rant. "Listen to me, okay? We're not sending anyone home. You're doing this. Plus you already made food for everyone."

At this, Hailey cracked a tentative smile. "If by 'made' you mean I ordered take-out and heated it up, then yes I made food."

Spencer smiled too. "There's nothing to be worried about, because everything will go great and everyone will be happy for you. And I'll be right here if you need anything."

Feeling comforted by his words, Hailey exhaled. She placed one of her hands on top of Spencer's and squeezed it. "Okay, I'm ready."

* * *

Meanwhile, in the living room, Jack checked the time on his phone for what had to be the fifth time since he'd sat down. Amanda had excused herself when they'd arrived at Nolan's fifteen minutes ago, and she still hadn't returned.

He saw Olivia was listening intently to Carl, nodding her head occasionally as if his nearly five year old son was engaging her in some deep conversation about politics or global affairs and not the latest events at his preschool. Drew's text tone went off and he excused himself right after, explaining that Charlotte had finally shown up and he'd be right back. Louise looked antsy and was continually drinking wine, while Spencer had gone to check on Hailey and Nolan still hadn't emerged from his room. With nothing else to do, Jack checked the time again – only another minute had passed since he last checked.

He looked back at Olivia, seeing that she had Carl's full attention. "Do you mind watching him for a minute?" He asked, and Olivia nodded in agreement. With that, Jack got up and headed for the hallway – he needed to check on his wife.

When he reached the bathroom door, he heard a sound that had become all too familiar to him – muffled retching. Feeling concerned, Jack lightly rapped on the door. "Everything okay in there?"

Immediately there was the sound of a flush. "Just a second!" Amanda responded, but her voice seemed hoarse. He could hear her turn on the water and after a few moments the door opened, revealing his wife. She faked a smile. "Sorry, just had to touch up my makeup."

Jack forced a nod, but he wasn't actually buying it – it was clear to him that she was lying to his face. "Okay…"

"Come on," Amanda said, touching his arm. "Let's go eat, I'm starving." She brushed past him, heading for the kitchen, but Jack hung back.

He knew that sooner or later he was going to have to confront her – and he was dreading what she would have to say when he did.

* * *

When Drew walked outside he found Charlotte, leaning up against the hood of her car. "Hey," He said, walking over towards her and giving what was meant to be a reassuring smile. His girlfriend said nothing, her arms crossed over her chest and a hard to decipher expression on her face. They hadn't spoken since his unexpected declaration that morning – other than when she'd texted him to meet her outside just a few minutes previously – and Drew was trying to fight the awkwardness. "So, what do you think Hailey called us here to talk about?" He waited a moment for Charlotte to answer but she didn't, her eyes remaining trained firmly on the pavement. "Personally, I think she and Spence finally admitted that they're into each other and–"

Charlotte cut him off mid-sentence. "Why do you love me?"

A beat passed and Drew still hadn't said anything, and Charlotte wondered if maybe he couldn't think of anything. Finally, he spoke. "Because I love the crease you get between your eyebrows when you're thinking really hard. Because I love how you try to be the big spoon when we sleep at night even though I'm taller than you. I love how you scrunch up your nose when a song you don't like comes on in the car, and I love how you steal all my clothes." He closed the distance between them. "I just love you."

Tears had filled up Charlotte's eyes by this point and she tried to blink them away. "Even though I'm so messed up?" She whispered, detesting how her voice broke over the words.

"Charlotte, you're not messed up."

She choked out a laugh. "If you say that I'm perfect or some cheesy crap like that, I will smack you Drew Burton."

He laughed too, then paused for a moment. "Look – you don't have to say it back. That's not why I said. I just wanted you to know that I love –"

Charlotte interrupted him again, this time by grabbing his face and lowering his mouth onto hers. They kissed passionately for several moments, and once they'd pulled apart she pressed her forehead against his. "I love you too."

When she said that, he almost did a double take. "You do?" Thinking about it now, Drew realized that Charlotte wasn't just the first girl he'd ever said 'I love you' to – she was the first one who ever said to _him_.

She giggled and kissed him again. "Of course I do."

A grin spreading across his face, he wrapped an arm around her shoulder and pulled her into his side. He really did love her. He didn't know why he hadn't told her sooner. "Come on, let's go inside."

* * *

When Nolan walked into his living room, Olivia was the first thing he saw. She was sitting on the floor with Carl, something she said sending him into a flurry of giggles. Olivia cracked a smile too – in that moment, he wondered if this was what it was like when Hailey was Carl's age. Nolan shook his head – he had to focus. "Hey," He said, causing Olivia to look up. "Can I talk to you for a second?"

"Sure," Olivia said. Clearly she did not know how serious this conversation was going to be.

Louise could though, and she stood up abruptly, her second glass of wine empty by this point. "I'm going to go see if Hailey needs any help in the kitchen." She said, before extending her free hand to Carl. "Come on pumpkin, let's go find your daddy hmm?"

Once they were gone, Nolan turned back to Olivia. She was smiling, still blissfully unaware. "He's so cute, isn't he? I love that little boy."

"Yeah, he is…" Nolan said half-heartedly. He shifted from one foot to the other, unsure of how to begin. "Liv, we need to talk."

"Okay, what about?"

He took a deep breath. "Olivia, I –"

But the conversation effectively ended before it could even start when Hailey walked into the room. "Sorry to interrupt. Dinner's ready."

She headed back into the dining room and Olivia got up, placing a hand on Nolan's arm. "Don't worry, we'll talk later." She assured him, before following their daughter out of the room.

Once they were gone, Nolan sighed. They _would_ talk later, and he knew it wasn't going to be pretty when they did…

* * *

 _There is a saying that blood is thicker than water._

Now that they were all seated, Hailey was beginning to feel anxious again. Out of the corner of her eye she glanced at her mother on her left and her father on her right, and then at Spencer across the table. He smiled at her reassuringly, and that alone relaxed her. Yeah she was a little nervous, but she was excited too. And she knew this was what she wanted to do.

 _But what people don't realize is that this is only part of the proverb:_

Once there was a lull in the conversation, Hailey stood up. "Before we get started, I know you're all probably wondering why I asked you to come over." She looked at her parents, both of whom were watching her with interest, and took a deep breath. "Earlier I was having a dilemma, wondering if I should change my last name. It put me in a difficult position because while I wanted to have my father's name, I also didn't want to stop being an Anderson anymore. I have two amazing parents who both love me and who I feel really lucky to have in my life, so I came up with a way to incorporate both parts of myself. I've decided that I'm going to hyphenate – Ross-Anderson."

" _The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb."_

Around the table, her friends all seemed visibly happy with this, while both Nolan and Olivia looked like they were getting emotional. "Oh, honey," Olivia said. "I love you so much…"

Once she'd hugged her mother, Hailey turned to Nolan. He looked like he was fighting back tears and Hailey embraced him as well. "You know I'm so proud of you, right?" He whispered to her.

Hailey smiled at his words. "I know, Dad."

 _Being a family is a choice._

Once they'd pulled apart, Hailey smiled and addressed everyone again. "Well, with that being said…let's eat." As everyone around her began talking again, she lowered herself into her seat, her eyes locking with Spencer's across the table. "I'm proud of you too," He mouthed. Hailey grinned.

As she looked around the table – her father talking to Amanda, her mother laughing with Louise about something, Jack with Carl in his lap, Charlotte and Drew looking at each other, and Spencer smiling at her like that – it occurred to her that she really, truly loved everyone there.

* * *

Later that night, Amanda smiled to herself as she stepped out onto the beach house porch, spotting Jack standing by the railing, staring up at the stars. "Hey, handsome." She said, walking over to join his side. "Carl's asleep."

 _And blood alone is not enough._

But when Amanda looked at Jack's face, she saw immediately that something was troubling him – it was apparent in his eyes. "Hey," She said, touching his hand. "Everything okay?"

Jack looked at her, his face somber. "...I know you're sick, Amanda."

She blinked at him. "What?"

"You know what I'm talking about," Jack turned towards her, looking serious. "You keep saying it's nothing but Amanda, I _heard_ you. There's something seriously wrong with you that you're not telling me." He trailed off, as if what he was about to ask was something he was scared to know the answer to. "Are you...are you rejecting your heart?"

Amanda's face fell at his words. Jack was waiting for an answer, clearly worried and upset. She had to tell him, she'd put it off long enough. "You're right, there is something going on with me." She confessed. "Why don't we sit down?"

At her suggestion the couple moved to porch swing, and Jack looked at Amanda nervously as she sat down next to him, appearing tense. He took her hand in his. "Okay, now you're really scaring me. What's going on, Amanda?"

 _A person's true family is those who love them unconditionally, who support them no matter what._

"I'm not rejecting my heart," Amanda told him, wanting to ease his worries right off the bat, and she saw Jack exhale in relief.

"I'm glad to hear that, but then...what is it?" He was still holding her hand, rubbing in circles with his thumb.

"You're not going to believe this," Amanda said, shaking her head. She took a deep breath – how should she even begin? She had to just get it over with. "I'm not sure how to say this but...Jack, I'm pregnant."

Suddenly Jack's hand stopped mid-motion and he didn't say anything for a moment, clearly trying to comprehend what she'd just said. His eyes were wide, and his lips moved but no words came out, like you did when you couldn't believe what you'd just heard and had to repeat it to yourself to make sure you got it right. This was clearly the last thing he'd been expecting. "But…" He floundered, at a loss for words. "But you...I thought you couldn't…?"

"Yeah, that's what I thought too..."

Tentatively, the corners of his lips turned up. "...You're really pregnant?"

Amanda nodded. "Ten weeks."

Jack laughed out of shock. "Amanda…" He said, speaking her name barely above a whisper, and she bit her lip in anticipation for his response. "Amanda that's...that's the best news I've ever heard."

Hesitantly, she smiled. "Really?"

"Of course! Did you really think that I wouldn't be happy about this?" He touched her face, and it was like a weight was lifted off her shoulders when she saw his smile. He was happy – all her worrying had been for nothing. "How long have you known?"

"I've been trying to tell you for two weeks. First I was too scared, and then you made that comment about how happy you were that Carl was going to preschool, so it could be just you and me…" Amanda trailed off. "I thought maybe you wouldn't want to do it all over again."

Jack sighed. "Babe, come here." Amanda scooted over and he reached out his arms, pulling her into his side. She curled into him and rested her head against his shoulder, while he wrapped both arms around her. "You know that you and Carl will always be enough for me – _more_ than enough. And if it had to be just the three of us for the rest of our lives, I would've been fine with that. But that doesn't mean that I didn't want another child with you – I just didn't think that was possible, and I _never_ wanted you to feel like I was making sacrifices for you. But believe me, I am so happy that this is finally happening for us…"

"I guess a part of me is still scared," Amanda confessed, on the verge of tears. "I thought I could never have kids, and with my heart...if anything were to happen I don't know if I'd...if I'd ever…"

"Amanda," Jack said. He cupped her cheek and she looked up, meeting his eyes. "You were meant to be a mother – you know Carl loves you. You deserve this. What goes around, comes around right?" She smiled feebly. "What matters is that we're having a baby, and you're allowed to be happy about that."

 _And then when you meet the right person, you can build a blood family together._

Slowly, Amanda began to smile. "We're having a baby." They both laughed lightly and kissed each other, by this point both of them unable to contain their tears of joy. She chuckled and wiped his cheeks. "I thought I was supposed to be the hormonal one."

Jack grinned at her. "I love you so much."

She looked at him, smiling and crying all at once. "I love you too." They kissed again, his arms wrapped around her torso, hers around his neck, and for a moment they just held each other.

 _That's what a real family is._

And they didn't worry about anything else in the world, if only for a little while...

* * *

It was late when Nolan returned to the kitchen, all their friends gone and Hailey having already passed out for the night in her room. Olivia was still where he'd left her, standing in front of the sink and rinsing off all their plates. He hesitated for a moment, watching as she brushed a wisp of blonde hair out of her face.

 _So when you find someone who you want to spend your life with…_

Olivia looked up when she felt his eyes on her and smiled. "Hey. You up for a nightcap?"

"Liv," Nolan said, and his grave tone immediately let her know something was wrong. "We need to talk."

Slowly, Olivia placed the plate she was cleaning down in the sink, and then turned to face him. "Is something wrong?"

Nolan reached into his pocket, and retrieved the folded up piece of paper. It was now worn around the edges, because he'd been fingering it all night. He handed it to her, and when Olivia saw what she was holding her face fell. "Why do you have a hitman's phone number?"

She only stared at the slip of paper in her hand for a moment, and then she gulped. Finally Olivia met his eyes again, and she crumbled it in her hand.

… _don't ever let them go._

"Nolan, I…" She stuttered. "Chamberlain gave it to me when I visited him in prison. But I wasn't going to use it, I swear!"

He looked down, feeling uneasy. "…Was the plan to get rid of my mother?"

Olivia couldn't met his eyes as she answered him. "…Yes."

She heard Nolan sigh and when she looked up he had his palm pressed against his forehead, as if he had a searing headache. "Oh my God, Olivia…" He muttered under his breath, before looking at her again. "Why would you do this?"

"I didn't ask Chamberlain to give it to me!" Olivia insisted. "I wasn't going to call!"

"Olivia," Nolan said. "Please, just stay out of this. All I want is to find her, and talk to her. Can't I just have that much?"

She hesitated. "Nolan…just remember that she's dangerous."

"Olivia, promise me you won't hurt her!"

 _Remain faithful._

The woman looked at his pleading face and let out a sigh. "I promise." She said softly. She heard Nolan mutter his thanks. But the truth was, she didn't know if that was a promise she could keep.

Because if Elizabeth Miller ever came anywhere near the people she loved again…there would be no guarantees.

* * *

 _Those ties are the ones that bind us._

Brett Chamberlain found himself aroused from a fitful sleep in the middle of the night when the door to his cell suddenly opened. He bolted upright, seeing the dark figure of a woman standing in the shadows, hands on her hips. "What the Hell?" He whispered. "How did you get in here?"

Sonya Chamberlain stepped forward, her red lips forming a self-satisfied smirk. "The night guard is so easy to bribe – just like taking candy from a baby. Now come on, we only have ten minutes." She plopped herself down on her husband's lap, her long nails digging into the flesh of his shoulders, and Brett turned his head away as she tried to kiss him. Sonya frowned at his rebuttal. "What's wrong? You aren't happy to see me?"

Chamberlain turned back to her, his expression cold. "You haven't come to visit me once, Sonya. You weren't there when I was arrested, you wouldn't be seen with me at the trial…And now you think you can show up and everything will be alright? No apology, nothing?"

"Come on Brett, you know I had to lay low for a while…" He looked up and she grabbed his face, forcing him to meet her eyes. "I love you. We're two sides of the same coin. We belong together Brett, I know it and you know it."

He shook his head at her. "I have done nothing but cover for your ass, Sonya – first after Barlow, and now this…"

"I had no choice!" She snapped, her volume involuntarily louder than she'd intended. She lowered her voice to a whisper as she continued. "McKenzie was going to prosecute you, Brett. If I hadn't gotten rid of him, you would've gone to jail for the rest of your life –"

"And I almost did, covering for you!" He hissed. "If Olivia hadn't convinced her baby daddy Nolan Ross to help me out, I would be in here forever for a murder that _you_ committed!"

"Well, _I_ didn't tell you to shoot that kid…"

"I had to because I was there cleaning up _your_ mess when he found me!"

Sonya scoffed. "And as for Barlow – you know I had to do it, Brett. He had turned on us and he wanted out of The Liberators. He had the power to expose us all. And when Angelique tells you to do something…" She trailed off. "Well, you do it or else."

"Would leaving really be the worst thing?" Chamberlain asked. "I don't want to do this anymore, Sonya. You know I only joined in the first place because they said they'd hurt you if I didn't? Little did I know that you were already working with them! I'm so sick of it – why can't we just run away, just the two of us? Just get out, no one has to know where we're going…"

 _Without that loyalty…_

His wife shook her head at him. "The only way we're getting out of The Liberators now is in a body bag. Brett, they know about everything we've done – you helping to orchestrate the bomb. Me killing Barlow. Every sin we've ever committed. And if we leave…" She paused. "If we leave Brett, we're either going to jail or getting killed. Like it or not, we have no choices left." She cupped his cheeks and leaned forward so their noses were touching. It almost looked like she was going to kiss him, but instead she just whispered her warning against his lips. "This is our life now, baby. Whether you like it or not. It's either kill or be killed. So what will it be?"

… _what does blood really matter anyway?_

* * *

 **A/N (again)** : I hope you enjoyed this final chapter and this story in general! This series is so much fun for me to write. Please drop a review if you liked it, your comments really encourage me. Now, here are my promised spoilers:

* The first chapter features flashbacks of Nolan and his mother, explaining how they got to this point and why they are the way they are

* Nolan and Olivia's tempestuous relationship comes to a head

* Amanda and Jack go through something horrible which completely changes their priorities

* Hailey will receive an... _interesting_ new love interest whom Spencer will be less than keen on

* Charlotte and Drew take new steps in their relationship

* Louise keeps a secret which makes things even worse for her than they already are

* Another old face from _Revenge_ will pop up and she (yes, SHE) is someone who the gang have a complicated history with, to say the least

* The flash-forward event of the story will result in not one but TWO deaths, and both of those deaths are of characters you've met in this story already

And that's it! Thank you all for your love and support and I will see you soon!


	13. The Revengers: Blood and Water Preview

**A/N** : Hello all! I have finally decided when the next installment in this series is going to be up, and you're all going to be happy. I've made great progress and since my anticipation is killing me, I've decided to move up the premiere. The first chapter of _The Revengers: Blood and Water_ is going to be posted on Sunday, December 11! That's three weeks away, which should give me plenty of time to finish the last three chapters I still have to write.

Now, onto this preview. Just like I did last time, this is the beginning of Chapter 1 (entitled "Shared History") followed by a makeshift "promo" featuring snippets from the first few chapters. Please tell me what you think and if you will be continuing on this journey with me! I'm excited for it!

* * *

 **September 4, 2017 9:00 am**

 **Labor Day**

 **Southampton, New York**

The moment Nolan's eyes flew open that morning, his mind was already racing a mile a minute.

 _There are defining moments which change the courses of our lives._

He looked over to the other side of the bed and found Olivia fast asleep, her hair splayed out on the pillow, her chest rising and falling steadily as she slept. He gingerly lifted her arm off his waist, careful not to disturb her, and climbed out of bed. He threw on some clothes and left the room, shutting the door behind him as quietly as he could.

Once he reached the kitchen, Nolan let out a long sigh and ran a hand through his messy hair. He really needed coffee. He got the pot started and was sitting down at the table with the paper when he heard footsteps.

 _And there are people who we share those moments with…_

He looked up and saw Olivia standing at the kitchen entryway. Her hair was lightly tousled and she was wearing nothing but the shirt he'd had on last night. It was unbuttoned, exposing part of her gray lace bra and panties, as well as her toned stomach and bare legs. Looking at her, he felt like he might blush – even though he'd seen a _lot_ more of her last night, it felt different in the light of day…

"Hey," He said, looking away and trying to sound nonchalant, as if he hadn't been ogling her a second before. "Coffee?"

Olivia shook her head 'no' and walked towards him, her arms crossed over her chest. "Nolan, we need to talk…about what happened last night…"

… _and who we are forever bound to as a result._

He glanced up to meet her eyes. Olivia stepped forward, slowly inching towards him until she was so close he could touch her. She was just standing there, blinking slowly at him as she waited for him to speak, and he tentatively placed his hands on her scantily clad hips. "Look, I know you probably think last night was a mistake…"

She cut him off immediately. "Nolan," Olivia said, speaking his name barely above a whisper. She ducked her head to look at him directly, a hand on his cheek. "I do not think last night was a mistake in _any_ sense of the word."

 _Your first love. The mother or father of your child. The person who was by your side through the darkest times._

Nolan smiled hesitantly. "I meant everything I sa-"

He was interrupted by the sound of a fervent knocking at the front door. He looked at Olivia, wondering if perhaps she was expecting someone, but she only shrugged. With a sigh, Nolan reluctantly let go of her and stood up to go answer it. He hadn't been expecting anyone to show up, and when he opened the door he was surprised. "Jack, what's –"

 _Once you go through something as momentous as that with a person…_

His frantic-looking friend didn't give him a chance to finish. "Have you seen Amanda?"

Confused, Nolan shook his head. Behind him Olivia had come to investigate and she hung back in the foyer, holding the shirt closed over her body. "No, why? Is she okay?"

"I don't know!" Jack told him. It was clear he was trying really hard to keep everything together, and failing. "When I woke up this morning she was gone! I looked everywhere! I went to Charlotte's before I came here but she wasn't there…and Charlotte wasn't either…"

"I'll try her cell," Nolan offered. "Maybe she'll pick up for me, it'll be alright Jack." The other man nodded, trying to have faith, and Olivia stepped forward to place a reassuring hand on his arm while Nolan grabbed his phone.

… _the two of you will always be tied together in that way._

As Nolan dialed the first number on his speed dial, he couldn't help but worry that something was really wrong...

* * *

Meanwhile, somewhere in the middle of nowhere, a black car was speeding down a deserted country road. In the backseat, Charlotte Clarke stared out the window, watching as the nondescript countryside zoomed past them as they drove. She looked to her right, finding Amanda staring ahead, hands behind her back. When she saw Charlotte looking at her, she forced a smile. "It's going to be okay…" She whispered. It sounded like she was trying to convince herself.

 _Because when you are the only two people in the world who have gone this huge, life-changing, or even horrible event…_

In the front seat, the female driver slowed down so she could whip out her cell phone, dialing a phone number one-handedly. She lifted the phone to her ear and after one ring the person she'd been trying to reach answered. "I have them," she said. Sonya Chamberlain's eyes flicked to her rearview mirror, where she saw the two Clarke sisters sitting stoically in the backseat.

On the other end of the phone conversation, another woman smiled at this piece of information. "Good," She said. "Stick to what we discussed." After Sonya promised she would, she hung up the phone.

Once they'd ended the call, a satisfied Hailey Ross-Anderson leaned back in her chair, arms crossed over her chest. So far, everything was going according to plan…

… _things between you will never be the same ever again._

* * *

 **May 8, 2017 9:00 a.m.**

 **Southampton, New York**

 **Four Months Earlier** **…**

As soon as Nolan Ross stepped out of his car and onto the driveway, he heard the front door to his house fly open. He looked up and saw his nineteen year old daughter come barreling towards him, a huge smile on her face. "You're home!" She said excitedly, and before Nolan could even reply she'd already thrown her arms around his neck in a hug, nearly choking him in the process.

Nolan laughed and hugged her back. "Glad to see someone's happy to see me." He said, the two of them finally separating. "How are you, Hailes?"

"So much better now that you're back," Hailey replied. "It's been almost four _weeks_ since I've seen you in person. That's way too long."

Nolan nodded in agreement as he pulled his suitcase out of the trunk. He had to agree that after almost nineteen years of being separated from his daughter – and even more than that if you didn't count the time when he hadn't known she was his daughter – he hated being apart from her. "I know, but you wouldn't have wanted to come with me. You would've hated it."

"Did you find anything out when you were in New York?" Hailey asked as the two of them began to walk towards the house.

He shook his head. For almost a month, he'd been going around New York looking for any information he could find out about his estranged mother. Ever since finding out that Elizabeth Miller was associated with The Liberators, he'd been desperate for answers, but kept coming up empty at every turn. No matter how deep he dug into Elizabeth's past, it seemed like he could find no ties with The Liberators or anyone else who worked with them. "Nothing much. It seems like my mother is doing a good job of keeping her double life hidden."

Hailey frowned. "I'm really sorry, Dad."

They walked inside and Nolan dropped his suitcase off by the door. "Mom!" Hailey called out. "Dad's home!"

A moment later Olivia appeared, and she forced a smile as she locked eyes with Nolan. "Hey, welcome back."

He gave a curt nod. "Thanks. It's…good to be back." Olivia nodded and then, without saying anything else, went back to her room.

Once she was gone, Hailey turned to look at her father. "Is something going on that I don't know about? I thought the two of you were good again."

Nolan picked his suitcase back up and turned to head to his room. "Everything's fine." He lied. "I'm just tired from my trip."

* * *

 _ **The Revengers: Blood and Water**_ **Promo**

 **Nolan** : Did you ever consider that maybe you should get the whole story before you start plotting people's murders?

/

 **Olivia** : I don't want you to get hurt. The deeper we get in this...the more worried I am that you're not going to get the results you're hoping for.

/

 **Amanda** : I think we're being watched right now.

/

 **Spencer** : We want to destroy The Liberators.

/

 **Charlotte** : We have no choice but to trust her.

/

 **Jack** : So there's a chance that they won't make it?

/

 **Louise** : There's something about Hailey you should know...

/

 **Drew** : Maybe she backed out of the deal.

/

 **Hailey** : Either you're with me, or you're against me. But you can't stop me.

/

 **Nolan** : …Hi, Mom.

 ** _The Revengers: Blood and Water_ Premieres December 11th!**


End file.
